Bangladesh Bank yesterday instructed the country's lenders to extend their operating hours to 2:00pm from today in order to help clients complete their banking activities smoothly ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

People will now be able to enjoy banking services from 10am to 2pm instead of 1pm, according to a central bank notice.

However, branches will remain open until 3:30 pm to complete their regular procedures.

Banks will have to continue operating on these limited hours until May 16, the notice said.

The decision came after the government extended the restrictions on public movement until May 16 to keep the coronavirus pandemic at bay.

The central bank notice, however, has not given any indication on the alternate-day duty rosters for employees.

Banks have followed the rostering system for their employees since 14 April as per the central bank and government instructions.

A Bangladesh Bank official said that banks would take a decision on their own to fix the number of employees operating their branches.

Bank employees will not be allowed to leave their working localities during Eid vacation either, it added.

This is because bank branches located in Dhaka city, Ashulia, Savar, Tongi, Gazipur, Bhaluka, Narayanganj and Chattogram will have to remain open on May 10 and 13 such that owners of garment industries can smoothly provide wages and festival bonuses to their workers.

The country will enjoy a public holiday on May 10 on occasion of Shab-e-Qadr.

If Eid is celebrated on April 14 depending on the sighting of the moon, banks will have to keep their branches open on May 13.

After the rate of Covid-19 infections and deaths began rising alarmingly, the government enforced lockdown-like controls from April 5.

As the situation worsened, it went for a strict countrywide lockdown from April 14.

Although the government has taken the decision to slightly relax restrictions from tomorrow, it has yet to resume the inter-district public transport services.