Big malls prefer continued shutdown to prevent coronavirus

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The relatively bigger and posh shopping malls across the country have said they preferred a continued shutdown to reduce scopes of coronavirus spread despite government permission for their restricted reopening ahead of the Eid ul Fitre, BSS reports.

“Most of the shopping malls and markets will remain closed until Eid-ul-Fitr while some small markets have reopened maintaining the government health directives,” Dokan Malik Samity secretary general Jahirul Haque Bhuiyan told BSS.

He said big markets like Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, Jamuna Future Park, New Market, Mouchak, Anarkoli, Polwel, Gazi Bhaban and City Heart markets in the city would not reopen.

Bhuiyan, however, added that shops and markets on Elephant Road, New Super Market, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) market, Chwakbazar, Islampur and street side markets would reopen shutters with caution maintaining the health directives.

In terms of percentage, he said, less than 20 percent shops and markets would operate ahead of the Eid in the capital city.

In southeastern port city of Chattogram, 3000 big shop and shopping mall owners decided not to open their shutters despite the Eid and simultaneously decided to restrict footpath shops as well in carrying out business like normal time.
They announced the decision following a meeting with Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) commissioner when the owners, however, decided to do business through online.

The shop owners also took an identical decision in northeastern Sylhet fearing crowds of shoppers could rapidly spread the pandemic while their decision came following a meeting with Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury.

Most of the markets and malls in southwestern Khulna, however, opened on Sunday maintaining government directives but the New Market and Jewelry shops remained shuttered.

“We have decided to continue the shutdown,” Khulna New Market’s shop owners association president Abdul Gaffar Bishwash said.

Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (RCCI) President Md Moniruzzaman also confirmed BSS that no big market in the city would be reopened before the Eid-ul-Fitr.

But some small and roadside shops in the city were seen reopened on Sunday.

In Rangpur, most of the markets, including the two main shopping malls — Rangpur Super Market and Nawabganj Bazar– were reopened maintaining the social distancing while some markets were seen still closed.