State-owned banks asked to remain open in areas under lockdown

The Bangladesh Bank on Saturday asked state-owned bank branches to remain open in districts and upazilas under lockdown to provide necessary services on behalf of the central bank and to manage accounts of government bodies.

State-owned banks also need to be open so that social safety allowance can be sent to the regions, the central bank said in a circular.

"Unless the government, deputy commissioner, upazila council or law enforcement agencies specifically instruct them to shut down, state-owned banks have to stay open on a limited scale in locked-down areas," the circular reads. 

The Bangladesh Bank has instructed the Sonali, Rupali, Agrani, Janata, Bangladesh Krishi and the Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan banks to remain open from 10am to 1pm for transactions.

But bankers have to stay back at their branches or offices till 2 pm.