, April 5 -- imposed austerity measures - featuring revised office hours and shorter business operations - came into effect on Sunday as the country moves to curb energy consumption amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.

Under the new schedule, all government and private offices will operate till 4:00pm starting at 9:00am, while markets, retail outlets and shopping malls must close by 6:00pm.

In line with the government's directive, Bangladesh Bank has adjusted the office and transaction hours for all scheduled banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs). These institutions will remain open from 10:00am to 5:00pm, with customer transactions allowed between 10:00am and 3:00pm.

Trading on the capital market will now end at 2:00pm, ha...