Shop owners at Bashundhara Shopping Mall, Rapa Plaza, Concord Arcadia, Eastern Plaza, Elephant road and Sobhanbag market switched of lights and closed their shops in accordance with the government directive to close markets after 7:00pm with effect from yesterday.

Many other roadside shops were also seen closed during that time.

The government took the decision recently to save electricity and manage the severe power crisis during the summer.

Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (Desa) announced to the shop owners in Banani as well as other areas of the city yesterday to close their markets within 7:00pm.

Security guards of the Bashundhara Shopping Mall said that they did not allow any shopper to enter after 6:30pm. The mall was closed at 7:00pm, they added.

Contacted, Desa authorities said that around 50 megawatt (MW) of power shortage was covered in their area yesterday due to the electricity rationing measure. The Desa faces a shortfall of 150 to 200 MW electricity regularly.

Our staff correspondent from Khulna reports that all shops and shopping malls in the metropolitan city remained closed after 7:00pm yesterday, except the drugstores, kitchen markets, hotels and tea stalls.

Two mobile teams of western zone power distribution company were seen patrolling the city to check if the government order was being complied with or not.

Khulna metropolitan city has been experiencing severe power crisis for the last two months.