Shop owners demand keeping stores open till 10pm in Ramadan
The Bangladesh Shop Owners Association has sought permission to keep stores and shopping malls open till 10pm during the upcoming Ramadan instead of the regular closing time of 8pm.
They also demanded unlimited shop hours after 15 Ramadan, which means the store shutters will remain lifted as long as there are customers.
In a written statement on Thursday, the shop owners requested the government to extend the shopping hours during Ramadan as the sales in the month begin especially after dusk or Maghrib prayers.
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"Sales in the month gain pace after 15 Ramadan, thus, shop owners want to keep their outlets open without any time limit," said Arifur Rahman Tipu, president of the Dhaka Metropolitan Shop Traders Owners Association.
At a press conference organised by the Dhaka Metropolitan Shop Owners Association at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday, they noted that businesses are incurring losses at present due to the government's decision to keep the shops open till 8pm to save electricity.
The demand to keep the shops open till 10pm during the first fifteen days of Ramadan was aimed at making up for the losses, they added.
Welcoming the drives of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, Arifur Rahman Tipu said, "We want the actual hoarders to be punished. However, a policy on the quantity of products allowed to be stored by a dealer, distributor, wholesaler and retailer needs to be in place, on the basis of which the drive against hoarders will be conducted."
He stated that visible punitive measures against people who run syndicates will help stabilise the commodity market.
"Retailers do not produce or import products. Thus, it is not possible for them to run a syndicate. Some 15/20 importers, manufacturers and marketers in the country are behind the notorious syndicate system," he said, adding that action against those responsible should help bring stability to the market.
"Besides, traders will be on the side of the government if it takes disciplinary action against the retailers who do not display the price list of the products," he further added.
