Bangladesh Trial Report:
The government has decided to declare March 18 a public holiday in addition to the previously announced holidays for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. As a result, the Eid holidays will span a total of seven days.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat on Thursday (March 5).
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj informed journalists of the decision while leaving the meeting.
Hajjaj said the Cabinet had decided to begin the Eid holidays on March 18, as March 17 had already been designated a holiday for Shab-e-Qadr. March 18 had previously been a working day, but it would now also be a holiday.
Earlier, the Ministry of Public Administration had announced a five-day holiday period from March 19 to 23, tentatively considering March 21 as the date of Eid-ul-Fitr, subject to the sighting of the moon. March 21, the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, was designated a general holiday.
Under the earlier schedule, March 19 and 20 before Eid and March 22 and 23 after Eid were declared holidays by executive order.
With March 18 now declared a holiday, the pre-Eid break will begin on March 17, including the Shab-e-Qadr holiday. The holiday period will therefore extend through March 23, making it seven consecutive days, from March 17 to 23.
/SA/
