The government has extended the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday for public sector employees. Initially, a five-day holiday was declared, but an additional day has now been announced by executive order. As a result, government employees will enjoy a continuous nine-day holiday from March 28 to April 5.
On March 20, it was confirmed that the Advisory Council decided to declare April 3 as an additional holiday.
Eid-ul-Fitr is expected to be celebrated on Monday, March 31, depending on the sighting of the moon. Accordingly, the official Eid holiday was scheduled to begin on March 29. However, since March 28 is a Friday (a weekend) and also a holiday for Shab-e-Qadr, the holiday will effectively start from March 28.
Previously, government offices were set to reopen on April 3, Thursday. Since April 4 and 5 (Friday and Saturday) are regular weekends, the new holiday extension means employees will now enjoy a nine-day uninterrupted holiday from March 28 to April 5.
Additionally, March 26 is Independence and National Day, which is already a public holiday. Offices will remain open for just one working day on March 27 before the extended break begins.
There are currently around 1.5 million government employees. According to regulations, casual leave cannot be taken between two holidays to extend the break. However, earned leave and optional leave can be availed with prior approval. Employees must apply at the beginning of the year for their three days of optional leave based on their religious preferences. They may also combine optional leave with general and government-declared holidays, subject to approval.
The Ministry of Public Administration has clarified that institutions operating under independent schedules and policies (such as Bangladesh Bank) or those providing essential services will decide on their leave policies in consideration of public interest.
