Ramadan office timing set from 9:00am to 3:30pm

Bangladesh Desk: The government on Monday set office hours from 9:00am to 3:30pm with a 15-minute break for zuhr prayers for the month of Ramadan.

The cabinet approved the rescheduled office timing for government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous organisations during Ramadan, the month of fasting for the Muslims on the Hijri calendar, said cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam at a briefing at the secretariat after the weekly cabinet meeting.

The public administration ministry proposed the changes in the office hours at the cabinet meeting, virtually chaired by prime minister Sheikh Hasina from her Ganabhaban residence, while members of her cabinet joined the meeting from the secretariat.

The Supreme Court, banks, other financial institutions and service providing agencies, including post office, hospitals, railways, and state-owned industries and factories, would set their own office hours, he added.

At present, the government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous organisations remain open from 9:00am to 5:00pm with a one-hour break for lunch and zuhr prayers from 1:00pm.

The offices will remain closed on Fridays and Saturdays as usual.

Ramadan is likely to begin on April 14 depending on the sighting of the moon.