Changing the previous day’s decision on closure of banks, Bangladesh Bank on Tuesday took a fresh decision that banks will operate from 10 am to 1 pm for general transactions from April 14 to April 21 during the 'all-out lockdown' declared by the government. The banks can remain open up to 2:30 pm for execution of other required activities, said a Bangladesh Bank circular, issued at 8 pm on Tuesday. They can keep one non-AD branch open within 2 km radius in the city corporation area and in upazila level one branch of each bank can open on Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday, it said.  Also read: People’s lives come first: PM Hasina The banks have to take measures to provide transport facilities for the staff during the period. The BB circular also said, during the banking transaction hours, the banks have to ensure different kinds of services including clearing of cheques, withdrawal and deposits of money, money transfer, release of remittance, encashment of different instruments and also receipt of the payments of bills of different utilities.  BB said banks have to continue services like disbursement of loans, incentives, payment of salaries of different industries and also the purchase of export bills, loan sanction and distribution. Also read: Bangladesh’s complete lockdown set to begin on Apr 14; notification issued The banks have to follow instructions in keeping the branches located in the port areas about the coronavirus in discussion with the local administration and other authorities, as per circular issued on August 5 last year, it said. The banks have to operate their activities through limited staffs under a rostering. They have to ensure operation of the ATM booths to facilitate transaction through cards by supply of adequate cash in the machines while the evening banking and weekly holiday banking activities will remain closed until further order, said the circular.

Banks will operate from 10am to 1 pm for general transactions on April 12 (Monday)  and 13 (Tuesday). If necessary, they can remain open up to 3pm for execution of other required activities. Bangladesh Bank issued a circular on Sunday in this regard as follow-up of previous circular issued on April 4, saying that all other instructions will remain unchanged given in the previous one. Earlier, the central bank instructed banks to operate from 10am to 12:30pm for general transactions during the lockdown period from April 5 to 11. Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown It also said that during the banking transaction hours, the banks have to ensure different kinds of services including clearing of cheques, withdrawal and deposits of money, money transfer, release of remittance, encashment of different instruments and also receipt of the payments of bills of different utilities.   The banks can operate one branch where they have more than one branches within the radius of two kilometres in metropolitan and district headquarters through internal coordination, it said. BB said banks have to continue services like disbursement of loans, incentives, payment of salaries of different industries and also the purchase of export bills, loan sanction and distribution. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest single-day deaths They have to keep open branches designated as authorised dealers for facilitating the export-import business. The banks have to ensure maintaining the health and safety instructions about the coronavirus in discussion with the local administration and other authorities, it said.They have to ensure operation of the ATM booths to facilitate transaction through cards by supply of adequate cash in the machines while the evening banking and weekly holiday banking activities will remain closed until further order, said the earlier circular issued on April 4.

Banking transaction hours have been extended further by 90 minutes with effect from May 10, said a Bangladesh Bank circular on Tuesday.