Bank branches near the capital's Qurbani cattle markets will carry out transactions from 10am to 8pm for three days in a row from Thursday, 7 July. The special arrangement is to help buyers and sellers at the markets handle money.

In an earlier instruction, Bangladesh Bank said that large numbers of traders would gather at the Qurbani cattle markets run under the supervision and management of Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations for Eid-ul-Azha, and that a very large amount of cash would change hands there. The central bank told branches and sub-branches of banks near the markets to help cattle traders with their transactions.

Under the instruction, those branches and sub-branches will keep extended hours, from 6pm to 8pm, until Thursday. On the two days before Eid, 8 and 9 July (Friday and Saturday, the weekly holiday), they will run normal banking from 10am to 8pm. Bank staff working the extra hours are to be paid allowances in line with the rules.

Banks have also been told to set up booths at the cattle markets to detect counterfeit notes. The central bank has directed them to check notes for traders free of charge, without a break, from the day the markets open until the night before Eid.

In addition, to help garment-sector firms sell export bills and pay salaries, bonuses and other allowances to workers, employees and officers before Eid, the garment-related branches of scheduled banks in Dhaka city, Ashulia, Tongi, Gazipur, Savar, Bhaluka, Narayanganj and Chattogram will stay open for the full day on 8 and 9 July, with adequate security.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.