Jewellery shops across Bangladesh to shut down indefinitely from Thursday

All jewellery stores across Bangladesh will remain closed indefinitely starting Thursday, following an announcement by the Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) late Wednesday night. The shutdown comes in protest over the arrest of the association’s vice president, Riponul Hasan.

In a press release signed by BAJUS General Secretary Badal Chandra Roy, the organisation stated that Riponul Hasan was "falsely and unjustly" arrested on Tuesday evening from his business premises in Tantibazar, Dhaka. The shutdown will continue until Hasan is released unconditionally.

The statement read, “BAJUS Vice President Riponul Hasan has been arrested in a false and harassing case. In protest and to demand his unconditional release, all jewellery establishments nationwide will remain closed from Thursday until further notice.”

Attempts to contact senior BAJUS officials for comments on the matter were mostly unsuccessful, as many had their phones switched off. However, a member of the organisation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that several cases were filed against Hasan following political changes in the country last August.

According to the source, Riponul Hasan, though affiliated with the ruling Awami League, did not hold any official position within the party. He was reportedly detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of the police and taken to their office for questioning.

The indefinite strike is expected to have a significant economic impact on the gold and jewellery sector, particularly as it begins without a clear timeline for resolution.