7-day Eid holiday begins March 18

The government has decided to declare March 18 a public holiday in addition to the previously announced holidays for the holy Eid-ul-Fitr. 

This decision was approved at a cabinet meeting held on Thursday, at the Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. As a result, this year's Eid holiday will extend to a total of seven days.

Subject to the sighting of the moon, Eid-ul-Fitr is expected to fall on March 21. 

Based on the tentative date of March 21, the Ministry of Public Administration had earlier scheduled a five-day holiday from March 19 to March 23. 

This includes March 21 as a general holiday for Eid-ul-Fitr, with March 19 and 20 declared holidays before Eid, and March 22 and 23 after Eid, by executive order.

With March 18 now added as a holiday—and March 17 already designated as a public holiday for the holy Shab-e-Qadr—the break will begin four days before Eid. 

This creates a continuous seven-day holiday period from March 17 to March 23, encompassing the day of Eid and the two days following it.