Bangladesh announced Thursday that government and private offices will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. effective immediately, cutting one hour from the standard workday [1]. Banks will close transactions at 3 p.m. Shopping malls and retail outlets must shut by 8 p.m. The government is also considering extending the weekend and introducing work-from-home arrangements to further reduce fuel consumption [2].

The measures follow weeks of escalating energy austerity. Bangladesh imports roughly 95 percent of its fuel, much of it routed through or priced against Gulf supply chains now disrupted by the Strait of Hormuz closure [3]. Universities were shut earlier in March. Fuel rationing is already in effect, with motorcycle owners limited to roughly two liters per day.

A decision on whether to shift schools to partial online instruction is expected by April 5 [1]. The government's energy adviser told reporters the moves were necessary to "avoid a total collapse of the power grid during peak summer demand."

Bangladesh did not start this war. It has no military role in the conflict, no strategic interest in Iran, and no seat at any negotiating table. But its offices now close an hour early, its malls go dark by eight, and its universities remain shuttered — all because a strait 4,000 kilometers away is closed. The war's cost ledger grows longer.

-- Priya Sharma, Delhi