The government has announced a seven-day holiday from May 25 to May 31 for Eid-ul-Azha, the second-largest religious festival of the Muslim community in Bangladesh.

The decision was made at a cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday evening, according to a press release issued by the Cabinet Division.

Under the decision, government offices will remain open on May 23 and 24 before the Eid holidays begin.

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The cabinet also approved the draft of the “National Public Toilet Policy 2026,” initiated by the Local Government Division.

The policy aims to ensure easy access to hygienic and quality public toilet facilities across the country, improve public health and hygiene standards, and provide user-friendly facilities for women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and marginalised communities.

It also seeks to establish effective management and financing systems to ensure the long-term sustainability of public toilet services.

According to the cabinet decision, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Local Government Department, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will undertake awareness programmes to educate students on proper and healthy toilet usage.

The policy also requires the inclusion of separate toilets for women in all physical infrastructure development projects.

Besides, the construction of septic tanks has been made mandatory for storing toilet waste. Disposing of toilet waste into rivers, canals, and other water bodies will be strictly prohibited to prevent water pollution.

The Local Government Department and the Roads and Highways Department will jointly work to establish separate public toilets for men and women at suitable locations along roads and highways.

The cabinet also directed the relevant ministries and departments to prepare a time-bound action plan for implementing the policy.