HC orders schools to close from 18 Feb instead of 8 Mar for Ramadan
The High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has directed that government and non-government secondary and lower secondary schools be closed from 18 February, instead of the previously scheduled 8 March, in observance of the holy month of Ramadan.
A HC bench, comprising justice Fahmida Quader and justice Md Ashif Hasan, issued the order, along with a rule, following a preliminary hearing of a writ petition on Sunday.
Earlier, on 20 January, Supreme Court lawyer Md Ilias Ali Mondol filed the writ petition. He represented himself during the hearing. Deputy attorney general Muhammad Shafiqul Rahman and assistant attorney general Mohiuddin Md Hanif appeared for the state.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Ilias Ali Mondol said that two separate circulars had been issued regarding Ramadan holidays. One circular stated that MPO-listed and Ebtedayi madrasahs would remain closed from 15 February for the entire month of Ramadan. However, another circular concerning secondary schools indicated that holidays would begin from 8 March.
He argued that both circulars were issued by the same ministry, yet provided differing holiday schedules, which he described as discriminatory.
Following the hearing, the High Court ruled that secondary schools must close from 18 February rather than 8 March. In effect, as madrasahs remain closed throughout Ramadan, secondary schools will now do the same.
Previously, the Directorate of Madrasah Education published the draft holiday list for 2026 for government and non-government MPO-listed and Ebtedayi madrasahs.
The schedule stated that institutions would remain closed from 15 February to 26 March on the occasion of Ramadan, Shaheed Dibas and International Mother Language Day (21 February), Independence and National Day (26 March), Shab-e-Qadr (17 March), Jumu’atul Wida (20 March) and Eid-ul-Fitr (21 March).
Meanwhile, on 28 December last year, the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education issued a gazette notification outlining the 2026 academic calendar and holiday list for government and non-government secondary and lower secondary schools. It specified holidays from 8 March to 26 March for Ramadan, the birth anniversary of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, Shab-e-Qadr, Jumu’atul Wida, Eid-ul-Fitr and Independence and National Day.
The writ petition stated that 98 per cent of Bangladesh’s citizens are Muslim and cited Article 2A of the Constitution, which declares Islam as the state religion, and Article 31, which stipulates that actions must be in accordance with the law.
It argued that since independence, educational institutions have traditionally remained closed during Ramadan, and therefore keeping primary and secondary schools open during the month would be inconsistent with constitutional principles and established practice.