Separate holidays fixed for shops in seven city zones
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
FE Report
The government divided the capital into seven zones and fixed separate weekly holidays for shops and other business establishments in those zones as part of efforts to address the nagging traffic congestion.
The shopowners, however, urged the authorities concerned to introduce a single-day holiday system instead of continuing the existing one and half-day shutdown, which hits their business very hard.
A regular cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in the conference room of the Cabinet Division at Bangladesh Secretariat took the decision.
After the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters that the decision was taken as part of the government's efforts to ease traffic jams in the capital.
It will come into effect soon, he said.
Under the government's latest decision, the markets in Zone 1 will remain closed for whole day on Fridays and for half-day on Saturdays. The zone-1 will cover Banglabazar, Farashganj, Shyambazar, Jurain, Postagola, Shyampur, Dholaipar, Genderia, Doyaganj, Dholaikhal, Mir Hazaribagh, Tipu Sultan Road, Dhupkhola, Wari, Ahsan Manjil, Lalbagh, Kotowali, Bangshal, Nababpur, Chankharpul, the southern part of Gulistan area, Joykali Mandir area and the southwestern side of Jatrabari.
The zone-2 will see full-day holiday on Saturdays and half-day holiday on Mondays and the zone will cover Rampura, Banashree, Khilgaon, Goran, a portion of Malibagh, Bashabo, Madartek, Mugda, Manda, Sabujbagh, eastern side of Kamalapur, Maniknagar, Dhalpur, Sayedabad, one part of Jatrabari, Demra, Shanir Akhra, Rayerbazar and Dhania.
The markets will remain closed for the whole day on Thursdays and for half-day on Fridays in the zone-3, which covers the areas of New Market, Eskaton, Moghbazar, Baily Road, Siddheshwari, Malibagh, Shajahanpur, Shaheedbagh, Shantibagh, Fakirapul, Paltan, Motijheel, Tikatuli, Gopibagh, Arambagh, Dilkusha, Segunbagicha, Bijoynagar, Topkhana Road, Press Club, High Court Mazar, northern side of Gulistan, Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Park, Shishu Park, Dhaka University and Eden College area.
The markets and other business establishments in the zone-4, which covers Karwan Bazar, Hatirpul, Manik Mia Avenue, Razabazar, Indira Road, Monipuripara, Tejturibazar, Farmgate, a portion of Tejgaon, Nilkhet, Katabon, Elephant Road, Kalabagan, Shukrabad, Sobhanbagh, New Elephant Road, Dhanmondi, Hajaribagh, Zigatola, Pilkhana and a part of Lalmatia area, will remain closed for the whole day on Tuesdays and for half-day on Wednesdays.
For the zone-5 the full-day and half-day holidays will be on Thursdays and Fridays respectively. The zone will cover Mohammadpur, Adabor, Shyamoli, Gabtoli, Mirpur-1 and 2, Mirpur Mazar and Stadium area, Dhaka Zoo area, Technical, Kalyanpur, Asadgate and Lalmatia areas.
In the areas under zone-6 the full-day and half-day holidays will on Saturdays and Sundays and the zone will cover Agargaon, Taltola, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Sewrapara, Kazipara, Pallabi, Mirpur-11, 12, 13 and 14, Ibrahimpur, Kachukhet, Kafrul, Mohakhali new and old DOHS, Kakoli, Tejgaon Old Airport area, Cantonment, Gulshan-1 and 2, Banani, Mohakhali Commercial Area and Mohakhali Inter-City Bus Terminal area.
In the Zone-7 the full-day holiday will be on Wednesdays and the half-day holiday on Thursdays and the zone will cover Middle and North Badda, Jagannathpur, Bashundhara Residential Area, Satarkul, Kuril, Nikunja-1 and 2, Khilkhet, North Dokkhinkhan, Joar Sahara, Ashkona, the entire Uttara Model Town, Kuril to southern side of Tongi Bridge and Airport Road area.
On a half-day holiday, markets and businesses will remain open up to 2:00pm and during a working day those will remain open until 8:00pm as usual.
Although the shop-owners supported the government's zone-wise separate holidays, they said the one and half-day holidays would only continue to affect their business and invite harassments at the hands of labour inspectors.
"One and half-day holidays are almost equal to two-day holidays as preparations for opening and closing the shops require a lot of time," said Helal Uddin, President of Dhaka Mohanagar Dokan Malik Samity, a trade body of 250,000 shop-owners.
He feared many of the city's shop-owners might try to flout the new order and might face harassment at the hands of labour inspectors.
Mr Helal also accused the authorities of adopting a discriminatory policy, saying: "Many multinational companies operating in the city keep their businesses open during the whole week. Even some local shops do the same."
"But most of the business centres are deprived of this opportunity," he told the FE.
Business leaders hail city zoning
UNB adds: Business leaders Monday welcomed the government's decision to divide the city markets, shopping malls and commercial establishments into seven zones with staggered weekly holidays for tackling traffic tailbacks in the capital.
In the wake of worsening traffic congestions that cost people their valuable man-hours and also upset emergencies, the business zoning decision was taken at the regular meeting of the cabinet Monday.
The apportioning of holidays for the businesspeople on different days of the week will also have an implication for load management of in electricity supply to deal with the nagging power crisis in the country.
The first vice president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abul Kashem Ahmed said the implementation of the decision would help reduce traffic congestion and save electricity.
Traffic congestion hampered business activities, which ultimately affected the country's economy, he said, adding: "The government decision will have a positive impact."
Replying to a query, the FBCCI leader said there would be no negative impact in the country's businesses. Holiday-staggering was also taking place in the country's industrial sector to save electricity, he added.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Abdus Salam Murshedi welcomed the latest government decision as a measure to reduce traffic congestion, but was skeptical about its success.
"It's a good initiative towards reducing the traffic jam, but it would be difficult to say whether it would bring success… let's us see if the decision could be properly implemented," he added.
The government divided the capital into seven zones and fixed separate weekly holidays for shops and other business establishments in those zones as part of efforts to address the nagging traffic congestion.
The shopowners, however, urged the authorities concerned to introduce a single-day holiday system instead of continuing the existing one and half-day shutdown, which hits their business very hard.
A regular cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in the conference room of the Cabinet Division at Bangladesh Secretariat took the decision.
After the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters that the decision was taken as part of the government's efforts to ease traffic jams in the capital.
It will come into effect soon, he said.
Under the government's latest decision, the markets in Zone 1 will remain closed for whole day on Fridays and for half-day on Saturdays. The zone-1 will cover Banglabazar, Farashganj, Shyambazar, Jurain, Postagola, Shyampur, Dholaipar, Genderia, Doyaganj, Dholaikhal, Mir Hazaribagh, Tipu Sultan Road, Dhupkhola, Wari, Ahsan Manjil, Lalbagh, Kotowali, Bangshal, Nababpur, Chankharpul, the southern part of Gulistan area, Joykali Mandir area and the southwestern side of Jatrabari.
The zone-2 will see full-day holiday on Saturdays and half-day holiday on Mondays and the zone will cover Rampura, Banashree, Khilgaon, Goran, a portion of Malibagh, Bashabo, Madartek, Mugda, Manda, Sabujbagh, eastern side of Kamalapur, Maniknagar, Dhalpur, Sayedabad, one part of Jatrabari, Demra, Shanir Akhra, Rayerbazar and Dhania.
The markets will remain closed for the whole day on Thursdays and for half-day on Fridays in the zone-3, which covers the areas of New Market, Eskaton, Moghbazar, Baily Road, Siddheshwari, Malibagh, Shajahanpur, Shaheedbagh, Shantibagh, Fakirapul, Paltan, Motijheel, Tikatuli, Gopibagh, Arambagh, Dilkusha, Segunbagicha, Bijoynagar, Topkhana Road, Press Club, High Court Mazar, northern side of Gulistan, Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Park, Shishu Park, Dhaka University and Eden College area.
The markets and other business establishments in the zone-4, which covers Karwan Bazar, Hatirpul, Manik Mia Avenue, Razabazar, Indira Road, Monipuripara, Tejturibazar, Farmgate, a portion of Tejgaon, Nilkhet, Katabon, Elephant Road, Kalabagan, Shukrabad, Sobhanbagh, New Elephant Road, Dhanmondi, Hajaribagh, Zigatola, Pilkhana and a part of Lalmatia area, will remain closed for the whole day on Tuesdays and for half-day on Wednesdays.
For the zone-5 the full-day and half-day holidays will be on Thursdays and Fridays respectively. The zone will cover Mohammadpur, Adabor, Shyamoli, Gabtoli, Mirpur-1 and 2, Mirpur Mazar and Stadium area, Dhaka Zoo area, Technical, Kalyanpur, Asadgate and Lalmatia areas.
In the areas under zone-6 the full-day and half-day holidays will on Saturdays and Sundays and the zone will cover Agargaon, Taltola, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Sewrapara, Kazipara, Pallabi, Mirpur-11, 12, 13 and 14, Ibrahimpur, Kachukhet, Kafrul, Mohakhali new and old DOHS, Kakoli, Tejgaon Old Airport area, Cantonment, Gulshan-1 and 2, Banani, Mohakhali Commercial Area and Mohakhali Inter-City Bus Terminal area.
In the Zone-7 the full-day holiday will be on Wednesdays and the half-day holiday on Thursdays and the zone will cover Middle and North Badda, Jagannathpur, Bashundhara Residential Area, Satarkul, Kuril, Nikunja-1 and 2, Khilkhet, North Dokkhinkhan, Joar Sahara, Ashkona, the entire Uttara Model Town, Kuril to southern side of Tongi Bridge and Airport Road area.
On a half-day holiday, markets and businesses will remain open up to 2:00pm and during a working day those will remain open until 8:00pm as usual.
Although the shop-owners supported the government's zone-wise separate holidays, they said the one and half-day holidays would only continue to affect their business and invite harassments at the hands of labour inspectors.
"One and half-day holidays are almost equal to two-day holidays as preparations for opening and closing the shops require a lot of time," said Helal Uddin, President of Dhaka Mohanagar Dokan Malik Samity, a trade body of 250,000 shop-owners.
He feared many of the city's shop-owners might try to flout the new order and might face harassment at the hands of labour inspectors.
Mr Helal also accused the authorities of adopting a discriminatory policy, saying: "Many multinational companies operating in the city keep their businesses open during the whole week. Even some local shops do the same."
"But most of the business centres are deprived of this opportunity," he told the FE.
Business leaders hail city zoning
UNB adds: Business leaders Monday welcomed the government's decision to divide the city markets, shopping malls and commercial establishments into seven zones with staggered weekly holidays for tackling traffic tailbacks in the capital.
In the wake of worsening traffic congestions that cost people their valuable man-hours and also upset emergencies, the business zoning decision was taken at the regular meeting of the cabinet Monday.
The apportioning of holidays for the businesspeople on different days of the week will also have an implication for load management of in electricity supply to deal with the nagging power crisis in the country.
The first vice president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abul Kashem Ahmed said the implementation of the decision would help reduce traffic congestion and save electricity.
Traffic congestion hampered business activities, which ultimately affected the country's economy, he said, adding: "The government decision will have a positive impact."
Replying to a query, the FBCCI leader said there would be no negative impact in the country's businesses. Holiday-staggering was also taking place in the country's industrial sector to save electricity, he added.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Abdus Salam Murshedi welcomed the latest government decision as a measure to reduce traffic congestion, but was skeptical about its success.
"It's a good initiative towards reducing the traffic jam, but it would be difficult to say whether it would bring success… let's us see if the decision could be properly implemented," he added.