Dhaka: The government has announced seven-day holidays from May 25 to May 31 on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. The decision was made at a cabinet meeting held this evening with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a Cabinet Division press release confirmed that government offices will remain open on May 23 and 24 before the Eid holidays. In addition to the holiday announcement, the cabinet also approved the draft of the “National Public Toilet Policy 2026,” proposed by the Local Government Division. This policy seeks to ensure easy access to hygienic and standard public toilet facilities across the country, aiming to improve public health and sanitation standards.
The policy is designed to provide user-friendly toilet facilities for women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and marginalized communities. It emphasizes effective management models and financing to maintain the long-term functionality and sustainability of public toilet
systems. As part of the cabinet decision, several ministries, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, will undertake initiatives to raise awareness among students about the proper use of hygienic toilets.
Furthermore, the policy mandates that development projects involving physical infrastructure must include separate toilet facilities for women, and the construction of septic tanks for waste storage in all toilets is compulsory. Under no circumstances will toilet waste be allowed to pollute rivers, canals, wetlands, or other water bodies. The Local Government Division, in collaboration with the Road Transport and Highways Division, will take initiatives to establish separate public toilets for men and women at suitable locations along roads and highways.
The cabinet also emphasized that ministries and divisions must prepare time-bound action plans to implement the policy effectively.