Five-day government holiday from Tuesday for Durga Puja; essential services to stay open

A five-day government holiday begins across the country on Tuesday, 20 October, for Sharodiya Durga Puja. Government officials and employees will enjoy the holiday from 20 to 24 October.

During this period, banks, financial institutions, the stock market and courts will remain closed. Many people will therefore need to finish necessary transactions and official work before the holiday begins.

According to a notification from the Ministry of Public Administration, holidays have been declared for Durga Puja on 20, 21 and 22 October — Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Of these, 20 October is a holiday by executive order for Mahanabami, 21 October is a general holiday for Bijoya Dashami, and 22 October is a holiday by executive order.

After that, 23 and 24 October are Friday and Saturday, the weekly holidays, making five consecutive days off in total. The long break has been created by the Puja holidays combining with the weekly holidays.

However, various institutions and employees connected with emergency and essential services will remain outside this holiday. Those services will continue as normal on the holiday days as well.

Outside the holiday will be institutions, vehicles and workers connected with electricity, water, gas and other fuels, the fire service, ports, cleanliness, telephone, internet and postal services. The arrangement is intended to ensure that the essential services of everyday civic life are not disrupted.

Hospitals and emergency healthcare will also remain outside the holiday, and the officials and employees concerned will perform their duties. Similarly, doctors, workers engaged in medical services, and workers and vehicles involved in transporting medicines and medical equipment will not be covered by the holiday.

A special arrangement has been mentioned for banks and courts. Limited activities of banks and courts will be conducted in accordance with separate instructions from Bangladesh Bank and the Supreme Court.

The rule is different for the private sector. Holidays at private industrial establishments, factories and other institutions will be determined under the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006, in accordance with instructions from the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

As part of this holiday adjustment, government offices were also kept open earlier on Saturday, 17 October, a weekly holiday. In other words, government employees had to work on one weekly holiday in exchange for the long Puja break.

The proposal for this change to the holiday list was approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat on 5 October. It was there that the decision to make this change to the 2026 government holiday list was finalised.

During these five consecutive days off, many people are expected to leave the capital and big cities for their village homes or relatives. Combined with the festive atmosphere of Puja, the long holiday will create a celebratory mood across the country.

After the holiday ends, government offices, courts and other institutions will return to their normal schedules from Sunday, 25 October. Until then, official activities other than emergency services will remain closed.