Despite the ongoing curfew, the public life returning to normal has led to a decision that government offices will operate from 9am to 3pm from Sunday to Tuesday this week.

Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain informed the Daily Sun about this on Saturday.

He mentioned that with the relaxation of the curfew and the overall situation returning to normal, government offices will function from 9am to 3pm for three days starting Sunday. Further decisions will be made later.

“The government is deciding on the operation of offices based on the situation. We hope everything will normalise soon, and we will act accordingly,” he said.

The government imposed curfew from 12 midnight on 19 July to stop countrywide violence centring the quota reform movement. Afterwards, the government relaxed the time of curfew in five steps. Of late, curfew was relaxed from 8am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday.

Following imposition of curfew, the government declared general holidays on 21, 22 and 23 July as per an executive order. Later, curfew was relaxed from 10am to 5pm and government offices remained operational from 11am to 3pm on 24 and 25 July.

Although office timings will extend from Sunday, the home ministry will take a decision on Saturday night on how many hours curfew will be relaxed in Dhaka, Narsingdi, Narayanganj, and Gazipur.

An official told the Daily Sun that Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal will sit with the senior officials of law enforcement agencies at night. A decision will be taken there on how many hours curfew will be relaxed in four districts, including Dhaka.

District administrations concerned will decide about relaxation of curfew in other districts besides Dhaka, Narsingdi, Narayanganj, and Gazipur.