Banks to operate on limited scale during Eid holidays

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has instructed scheduled banks to keep selected branches open on a limited scale during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays to facilitate import-export activities and ensure payment of wages and allowances to garment sector workers.

The directive was issued on Monday (March 16) through a circular sent by the central bank’s Supervisory Data Management and Analytics Department (SDAD) to the managing directors of all scheduled banks.

According to the instruction, except for Eid day, bank branches, sub-branches and booths located near seaports, land ports and airports will remain open as required from March 17 to March 23.

In areas with a high concentration of garment factories — including Savar, Ashulia, Tongi, Gazipur, Valuka, Narayanganj and Chattogram — banks will operate on March 18 and 19 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Customer transactions will be allowed from 10:00am to 1:00pm, with a break for Zuhr prayers from 1:15pm to 1:30pm.

Branches located near ports will also continue transactions from March 17 and again from March 20 to 23 under their own arrangements.

If Eid is observed on March 21, subject to moon sighting, all banks across the country will remain fully closed on that day.

Bangladesh Bank said the special arrangement aims to ensure that foreign trade and financial transactions in the industrial sector continue smoothly during the Eid holidays. The move is also intended to support remittance inflows and ensure payments to export-oriented industries.

Banks have been instructed to maintain adequate security measures and keep essential banking services operational so that customers and businesses can access necessary services during the holiday period.