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WEB DESK

The government of Bangladesh has decided to reschedule the office timings to save electricity in the country. Briefing media after the regular Cabinet meeting in Dhaka on Monday, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam announced that all government and autonomous offices will function from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Wednesday, August 24. The banks will remain open from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. At the same time, the schools will now have a 5-day week.

The Cabinet Secretary also announced that government offices and autonomous institutions have been asked to minimise the consumption of electricity by removing curtains to allow natural light and air as well as reduce the use of air-conditioning. Khandker Anwarul Islam said that rescheduled timings will also help in reducing traffic jams by distributing the flow of vehicles during the working days.

The new set of instructions came in line with government efforts to reduce the electricity consumption and save foreign exchange revenue in the country. Earlier, the government had directed the shops, shopping malls and kitchen markets to close by 8 p.m. to save energy.