3 April holiday, nine days of public holidays this Eid

The long holidays announced for government officials on this Eid-ul-Fitr have been extended further. The government had earlier announced five consecutive days of holidays on the occasion of the Eid. Now the holidays have been extended by one more day on executive orders.

The decision to announce 3 April as holiday as well was taken at a meeting of the advisory council today, Thursday. As a result, the government officials and employees this time are getting nine consecutive days of holidays from 28 March till 5 April. 

Sources from the advisory council meeting held today confirmed that 3 April will also be a holiday. Depending on the sighting of the moon, the holy Eid-ul-Fitr may be celebrated on 31 March. The ministry of public administration had already announced a five-day holiday considering this possible date.

In that sense, the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays will officially start from 29 March. However, the day before the scheduled holiday begins, meaning 28 March is Friday, the weekly holiday. Plus, the holy Shab-e-Qadr holiday is also on the same day. So, the holidays will actually start from 28 March.

According to the previous announcement, the offices were supposed to open on 3 April, Thursday. The next two days of that, Friday and Saturday are the weekly holidays. Since 3 April has also been announced a holiday on executive orders, the government officials and employees will now enjoy nine days of holidays at a stretch from 28 March to 5 April.

However, two days before the Eid holidays begin there is the holiday of Independence Day on 26 March. The offices will remain open only for one day in between on 27 March.

Currently, there are about 1.5 million (15 lakh) government officials and employees. According to the leave rules, there is no rule to take casual leave between two holidays. If done, it turns into consecutive leave. There is a scope to take earned leave though. Additionally, there is also the scope to take optional leave.

However, every employee has to take prior approval from the concerned authority to enjoy the three-day optional leave permitted according to their religion at the beginning of the year. There is the scope to approve optional leave by combining it with general holidays, government holidays announced on executive orders and the weekly holidays.

The ministry of public administration says that the offices whose timetables and holidays are governed by their own laws and regulations (such as Bangladesh Bank) or services of the offices, organisations and institutions (related to emergency services) that have been declared essential by the government will declare these holidays considering the public interest in accordance with their own laws and regulations.

There are more than 200,000 (2 lakh) officials and employees working in the public and private banks of the country. According to sources from the Bangladesh Bank, some branches of the public and private banks are kept open under special arrangements ahead of Eid every year. However, the Bangladesh Bank has not yet taken any decision in this regard this time.

According to the digital map of Mapped in Bangladesh (MIB), there are total 3,555 export-oriented garments factories in the country now. As many as 3.5 million (30.53 lakh) workers are employed in these factories.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), has requested factory owners to allow their workers holidays staring from two to three days before the Eid, if possible.

The Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) president Mohammad Hatem told Prothom Alo that there is a pressure of shipments before the Eid holidays. That’s why most factories give announce holidays from the last working day before the Eid. However, if anyone has the scope, he has requested them to give their workers holidays earlier.