3-day Durga Puja holiday, offices open on Oct 17

The government has revised the public holiday schedule for Sharadiya Durga Puja, declaring a continuous three-day holiday from October 20 to 22. To compensate, government offices and courts will remain open on Saturday, October 17.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, sources said.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal to declare November 7 a public holiday every year to observe National Revolution and Solidarity Day.

The day will be included in the ‘A’ category of the Cabinet Division’s list of national and international days and observed with due dignity as a public holiday.

Under the revised Puja schedule, government employees will enjoy holidays from October 20 to 22, combining the festival holidays with the weekly holiday. In return, October 17, a Saturday, will be a working day for government offices and courts.

The Cabinet meeting was attended by ministers, Cabinet members and senior secretaries.