Dhaka, Mar 05 (V7N) — The government has decided to declare an additional public holiday on March 18, extending the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr vacation to a total of seven days.

The decision was approved at a cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat on Thursday (March 5) under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The proposal to extend the holiday was placed in the meeting to ensure smooth travel for citizens and allow people to celebrate Eid with their families in their hometowns.

Earlier, the Ministry of Public Administration had announced a five-day Eid holiday from March 19 to March 23, considering the possibility that the holy festival may fall on March 21 if the month of Ramadan completes 30 days.

With the newly approved holiday on March 18, the vacation period has now been extended. In addition, the holiday for Shab-e-Qadr on March 17 will fall just before the Eid holidays, effectively creating a continuous seven-day break.

The exact date of Eid-ul-Fitr will be determined based on the sighting of the moon, which may place the festival on March 20 or March 21 this year.

Government officials said the extended holiday is expected to ease pressure on transport services and facilitate safer travel for millions of people returning to their hometowns for the festival.

END/SMA/AJ