All shopping malls in Dhaka shut from Wednesday

To stem the coronavirus outbreak, all shopping malls in Dhaka – including Dhaka New Market and Bashundhara Shopping Mall – will be shut from Wednesday until March 31.

Shop owners and market authorities have informed all businesspersons about the decision.

Habibur Rahman, general manager of Bashundhara Group, the regulatory authority of Bashundhara Shopping Mall, told The Business Standard on Monday, "As per the government's decision, all business entities have been told to shut down until March 31."

Hannan Azad, secretary of the Bashundhara Shopping Mall Shop Owners' Association, said, "Many businessmen have kept their shops closed since on Monday. Half of them opened their shops today. Do not come to the market from Wednesday as per the decision of Bashundhara Group."

Kamruzzaman, proprietor of Uzzal Telecom at Bashundhara Shopping Mall, said, "As there were no customers we closed the shop after Saturday evening. I did not open the shop today. Our shop will open after March 31."

Dhaka New Market Shop Owners' Association Secretary Khairul Basher Shipon said, "Accepting the decision by the Bangladesh Shop Owners' Association, we have asked all shop owners to close their shops. We have not issued a notice yet. As Tuesday is our weekly day off, New Market will be closed from Wednesday."

"We will stop anyone who intends to open their shop," he said, adding, "no businessman will keep his shop open to incur losses in an absence of customers."

Rahim Shekhab, an apparel businessman at Gauchia Super Market, said the number of customers was less than 20 percent of the number in regular times.

"Many businessmen have not opened their shops today (Monday). We will not open our shop tomorrow. We will reconsider the situation after March 31 and decide on whether to open the shop."

Eastern Plaza, another popular shopping destination in the capital, will be shut down from Wednesday – effective until March 31 – said Mohammad Isha Ullah, proprietor of New Look Fashion at Eastern Plaza.