Accra:The government has introduced new guidelines aimed at maintaining the importance of national and international days while reducing public expenditure and conserving official time.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Cabinet Division released a circular today that categorizes 18 national-level days and festivals, 39 days of traditional and social significance, and 35 symbolic days related to specific sectors.
Under these guidelines, ministers are expected to attend events marking the 39 traditional and social days, with the possibility of the Prime Minister being invited based on the occasion's importance. Government funding of up to Tk 50,000 may be allocated for these events.
The 35 symbolic days will be observed on a smaller scale, without special allocations from the development budget. The circular notes that government agencies may opt out of observing repetitive days that have lost relevance to optimize resources and time.
Specific events such as Education Week, Science Week, Police Week, BGB Week, Fisheries Fortnight, and National Sports Week, as well as Armed Forces Day on November 21, must adhere to the Prime Minister's directives.
The guidelines suggest minimizing elaborate decorations, large-scale cultural programs, and rallies during working days. Events spanning a week should typically be limited to three days, with discussions and cultural activities ideally scheduled on holidays or outside office hours.
Finally, the circular emphasizes that approved programs should not disrupt regular office operations.