Govt employees to get 22 extra holidays in 2027

Government employees will get 22 additional days off in 2027, as the cabinet has approved a total of 29 public holidays, comprising 15 general holidays and 14 holidays through executive orders.

Of the 29 holidays, seven will coincide with regular weekly holidays, leaving government employees with 22 additional days off beyond their usual weekly breaks.

The holiday schedule was approved at a cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat on Monday, chaired by the prime minister.

The 15 general holidays will cover national days and major religious festivals celebrated by different communities. Of these, two will fall on Fridays and two on Saturdays.

The 14 holidays approved through executive orders will include the Bengali New Year and other important religious festivals. One of these holidays will fall on a Friday and two on Saturdays.

In addition to the public holidays, government employees will be allowed to take up to three days of optional leave annually to observe religious festivals.

The cabinet has also allocated two days of optional leave for employees belonging to different small ethnic communities, both in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and elsewhere, to celebrate their major social festivals, including Boisabi and similar occasions.

Meanwhile, the cabinet gave final approval in principle to the draft Special Solar Power Installation Act 2026, aimed at accelerating the expansion and implementation of special solar power installation programmes.

Special Solar Power Installation Ordinance 2026 was issued earlier to expedite the implementation of such programmes.
Under Article 93 of the constitution, an ordinance issued when Parliament is not in session must be placed before the first sitting of the next session of Parliament.

Accordingly, the draft legislation was placed before the Cabinet to convert the existing ordinance into an Act. It received final approval, subject to vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division.

The cabinet also approved the draft Public Procurement (Second Amendment) Act 2026 to strengthen transparency, accountability, equal treatment and open competition in government procurement.

Public Procurement Act 2006, which serves as the country's principal legal framework for government purchases, has been amended six times so far. The latest changes were introduced through the Public Procurement (Amendment) Ordinance 2026, issued on September 21.

The proposed amendments aim to protect domestic industries and promote greater competition in public procurement.

The draft legislation includes special provisions for new bidders, micro and small enterprises, women bidders and disadvantaged bidders to ensure broader participation in government procurement activities.

It also proposes modernising the open tendering process and increasing the use of limited tendering to ensure a more balanced distribution of resources.

In addition, the proposed law seeks to clarify provisions relating to professional misconduct and introduce alternative procurement arrangements during national emergencies.

In line with Article 93 of the constitution, the amendment ordinance will be placed before the next session of Parliament in the form of a bill to convert it into law.

The draft legislation was published on the websites of Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) and Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) to invite public opinion.

The cabinet gave final approval to the draft, subject to vetting by Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division.
Besides, the cabinet approved a draft agreement between Bangladesh and Hong Kong on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two sides in legal proceedings involving criminal cases.