United News of Bangladesh

The week-long vacation for Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival for Muslims, concludes today (March 23), and government offices, courts, banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, and stock markets will reopen tomorrow (March 24). Life in the capital is set to return to its usual pace tomorrow (Tuesday), as the offices reopen. The last working day before the Eid Holiday was March 16. The seven-day vacation began on March 17, with Eid-ul-Fitr celebrated across the country on March 21. A significant influx of people returning to their workplaces has already been observed at major transit points. Long queues and heavy crowds were reported at Sadarghat Launch Terminal, Kamalapur Railway Station, and the bus terminals in Sayedabad, Mohakhali, and Gabtoli as holidaymakers head back to Dhaka. While many government officials and employees are expected to join their duties tomorrow, a segment of the workforce has extended their holday. Those who managed to secure additional leave for March 24 and 25 will enjoy a 12-day vacation, returning only on March 29 after the Independence Day public holiday (March 26) and the subsequent weekend (March 27-28). The continuous seven-day break was finalized after the government declared a holiday on Wednesday, March 18, via an executive order. Originally, March 17 was a holiday for Shab-e-Qadr, and the official Eid holidays were scheduled from March 19 to 23. By declaring March 18 a holiday, the Ministry of Public Administration ensured an uninterrupted travel window for millions of citizens heading home to celebrate with their families, fulfilling demands from various quarters to ease the holiday rush.