Dhaka:The government plans to declare October 22 as a holiday by executive order, creating a five-day holiday period for Durga Puja, the most significant religious festival for the Hindu community.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Bijon Kanti Sarkar, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Ethnic Affairs, announced this information on Tuesday. He stated that the Durga Puja festivities will commence on October 17, with October 20 and 22 being declared holidays by executive order. October 21 will be a general holiday for Bijoya Dashami, followed by the regular weekend holidays.
A proposal regarding the holiday schedule is expected to be presented to the Cabinet for approval. Additionally, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has increased the special allocation from the Prime Minister's Fund for Durga Puja by Tk 1 crore, raising the total allocation to Tk 5 crore.
The Prime Minister has also increased funding for the Buddhist community's Prabarana Purnima and Kathin Chibor Dan festivals by Tk 1 crore, bringing the total allocation to Tk 3 crore for this year. These Buddhist celebrations will take place from the second week of October until mid-November.