Almost all the malls in Dhaka’s New Market area have decided to keep the shutters down until Eid-ul-Fitr fearing spread of coronavirus.
The owners’ associations of New Market, Chandni Chawk and Gausia took the decision on Friday even after the government allowed the malls to reopen on May, reports bdnews24.com.
Chandrima Super Market shop owners will take a decision on Saturday, but they are likely to follow suit.
Aminul Islam Shaheen, the president of New Market Shop Owners’ Association, said they had wanted to reopen the shops on a limited scale because they needed money for their families.
“But we’ve lost the courage to reopen as the number of infection in rising daily,” he said.
Shaheen also said he sees no chance of reopening the shops considering the health safety of the customers, salespeople and risks of a bigger outbreak.
Nizam Uddin, who heads the shop owners’ association of Chandni Chawk, said they would have been able to slightly offset the losses had they resumed trade.
“Why would customers come to shops in this situation? No chance,” he said.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi also said on Thursday the likelihood of people crowding the malls for Eid shopping is next to nothing.
The malls in New Market area draw a huge number of customers from different parts of the capital and beyond before Eid.
But on Thursday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police said no one will be allowed to shop in malls that are more than two kilometres away from their homes.
Manjur Ahmed Manju, the president of Chandrima Super Market Traders’ Association, said they had wanted to allow the shops to reopen if they wanted to.
“But the other malls have decided to keep the shops closed and asked us to do the same. We will take a call tomorrow [Saturday],” he said.
Bangladesh Shop Owners Association President Helal Uddin said, “Not everyone can restart business now. But at least some shops in the residential areas will reopen.”