The previously announced Eid-ul-Fitr holiday for government employees has been extended further, allowing them a continuous nine-day break.

Initially, the government declared a five-day holiday for Eid. However, following a decision in the Advisory Council meeting on Thursday, April 3 has now been added as a holiday through an executive order, reports Prothom Alo. As a result, government offices will remain closed from March 28 to April 5.

Eid-ul-Fitr is expected to fall on March 31, based on the moon sighting. The Ministry of Public Administration had initially scheduled the Eid holiday from March 29. However, since March 28 is both a Friday (weekend) and the holiday for Shab-e-Qadr, the effective holiday period begins on March 28.

Previously, offices were set to reopen on April 3, but with April 4 and 5 being weekends (Friday and Saturday), the addition of April 3 means government employees will now enjoy an uninterrupted nine-day holiday.

Furthermore, just before this extended break, March 26 is a public holiday for Independence and National Day, meaning offices will be open only for a single day on March 27 before the long holiday begins.

Currently, Bangladesh has around 1.5 million government employees. According to leave regulations, casual leave cannot be taken between two holidays to prevent further extension. However, employees can avail earned leave or optional leave with prior approval at the beginning of the year.

The Ministry of Public Administration stated that organizations with specific schedules—such as Bangladesh Bank or essential service providers—will determine their holiday schedules based on operational requirements.

Bangladesh has over 200,000 employees in both government and private banks. Every year, some bank branches remain open under special arrangements before Eid. However, Bangladesh Bank has not yet announced any decisions regarding banking operations during this extended holiday.