Offices reopen today as curfew relaxed

Government offices have been instructed to resume activities on a limited scale as the curfew will be relaxed for seven hours from 10am to 5pm starting today (July 24).

Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain said government offices will run activities from 11am to 3pm today and tomorrow.

Curfew relaxation hours and consequently the duration of office time will be extended further soon, but the government has yet to decide on the reopening of the educational institutions.

The Ministry of Public Administration on Tuesday issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) keeping 7% quota-based appointments in public services following the verdict of the Supreme Court.

Although the Supreme Court has given the authority to the government to amend the quota system, the government is unwilling to go against the verdict of the court right now, said Law Minister Anisul Huq in a press briefing at his residence in the capital’s Gulshan area on Tuesday.

Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, and State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat were also present there.

“The curfew will be lifted once the overall situation in the country returns to normal,” said the law minister.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday said curfew would be relaxed in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, and Gazipur from 10am to 5pm starting today, adding that district administrations will decide on enforcing curfew in the other districts.