Customer turnout was low on the first day of reopening of shopping malls and shops in the capital.
A number of malls and shopping centers reopened Sunday (May 10) after nearly one and a half month of shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The first day of reopening saw a low turnout of customers.
Shop owners were seen ignorant of health guidelines while running their businesses amid serious risks of virus transmission.
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However, thermal scanners were installed in front of several shopping malls.
Shop owners said they were expecting a large crowd but the turnout was not satisfactory on the first day.
Shopkeepers were seen creating crowd outside shut malls in the morning and the number was far superior than the number of customers throughout the day.
Antu Chowdhury, a shop owner at Gausia Super Market in the capital, told The Business Post: “Our shop is a small one with small capital. We couldn’t open the shop for many days. But customer turnout disappointed us. The entire market is deserted.”
While asked about maintaining health guidelines, he said many shop owners have arranged soap and water for hand washing. Everything isn’t possible at once, he said. “We will try to follow all the guidelines gradually”, he added.
Ayon Rahman, a shoe shop owner at Elephant Road, told The Business Post, many shop owners didn’t open shops despite getting the permission as they were not expecting a big crowd.
Bangladesh Shop Owners Association President Helal Uddin The Business Post that only a few shops resumed business on the first day of reopening and customer turnout was very low throughout the day.
