Businessmen reopen shops

reopened their shops and other business establishments across the country on Friday, complying with the government directives to maintain health guideline strictly.

After five days of closure due to the lockdown, the businessmen have been allowed to keep their malls and markets opened from 9:00am to 5:00pm till Tuesday.

Cabinet Division on Thursday issued a notification in this regard warning that legal step will be taken if the health guidelines are ignored in the markets and shopping malls.

Besides, the concerned people of different traders’ associations warned of stopping the businesses if anyone ignores the health guideline.

In a message on Friday morning, Aminul Islam Shahin, president of New Market Traders’ Association, said that they will go for closure of shops if any shopkeeper fails to maintain the government directives in containing the spread of the coronavirus.

Leaders of different traders’ associations were seen busy to ensure health guidelines including physical distancing system for customers on their respective markets and shopping malls.

At the same time, the shopkeepers were seen happy as the government has allowed them to reopen their shops.

Owners of different shops said they would have been incurred huge losses if their businesses remained closed just a week before the fasting month of Ramadan is likely to begin from April 14.

They said they are shouldering the burden of bank loan and they have to pay monthly installment as the government declared general holidays on March 26 last year amid the surge of coronavirus.

The government went on a seven-day lockdown across the country from Monday to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

But, soon after the lockdown, people from many sections including businessmen and professionals have been thronging the streets to press home demand for resumption of public transport and business establishments.

Realising commuters’ sufferings, the government allowed public transports to resume their operations in Dhaka, Chattogram, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Cumilla, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Barishal, Rangpur and Mymensigh city corporation areas from 6:00am to 6:00pm every day.

As the country has been experiencing record-breaking Covid cases for the past few days, the government went on a weeklong countrywide lockdown from last on Monday.