The government has announced a series of sweeping austerity measures, including reduced office hours and significant spending cuts, to combat the energy crisis triggered by ongoing instability in the Middle East.

The decisions were finalized during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Jatiya Sangsad complex on Thursday night.

Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani briefed reporters following the session, confirming that a new office schedule will take effect this coming Sunday.

Under the revised arrangement, both public and private offices will operate from 9 am to 4 pm, while banking hours have been set from 9 am to 3 pm, with all bank operations to conclude by 4 pm.

In a bid to curb national electricity consumption, the Cabinet has mandated that all shops, markets, and shopping malls must close by 6 pm, though essential services such as pharmacies, hotels, and kitchen markets remain exempt.

The Cabinet Secretary further detailed a 180-day austerity plan designed to slash public expenditure over the next three months.

Sector	New Hours (Effective Sunday)
Public & Private Offices	9 am – 4 pm
Banking (Customer Service)	9 am – 3 pm
Malls & Markets	Must close by 6 pm
Essential Services	Exempt from early closure

During this period, the government will halt the purchase of all new vehicles, aircraft, and computer equipment.

Additionally, government spending on fuel, gas, and electricity is to be reduced by 30 percent, while budgets for meetings, seminars, and internal training programs will be halved.

All government-funded foreign training has been suspended until further notice to conserve foreign exchange.

To ensure long-term energy security, the government is actively seeking to diversify its fuel imports, with initiatives already underway to source energy from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.

The Cabinet also prohibited decorative lighting at social events, including weddings, as part of the immediate energy-saving drive.

Furthermore, a new transport policy was discussed to introduce electric school buses to replace private cars.

Under this plan, educational institutions and the private sector will be permitted to import new electric buses duty-free or at a reduced commercial rate, though the import of used vehicles remains strictly prohibited.

Detailed directives regarding school schedules are expected to be issued this Sunday.

With Inputs from UNB