Recommendation to extend Eid holidays by a day

The extension would help travel more comfortable for holidaymakers, says Minister AKM Mozammel Huq

Travellers swarm the Shimulia jetty in Munshiganj on Thursday as they seek to return to work in Dhaka at the end of the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday after the government decided against extending the

The cabinet committee on law and order has recommended an extension of the Eid public holidays by another day in order to ease the travel of holidaymakers.

The committee recommended that Apr 9 be declared a holiday for this purpose after a meeting on Sunday morning.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, the convener of the committee, said after the meeting, “A recommendation will be sent to the government tomorrow to see if it can be extended by another day. The recommendation to declare Apr 9 a holiday will be sent to the cabinet. This will allow people to travel without hassle.”

The government’s holiday schedule for this year was made on the assumption that Eid-ul-Fitr will fall on Apr 11. The dates of Apr 10-12 were declared public holidays for the occasion. Eid is followed by two more holidays as Apr 13 falls on a Saturday and Apr 14 is Pohela Boishakh, or the first day of the Bangla New Year.

The Muslim holiday of Shab-e-Qadr falls on Apr 7. Before that, Apr 5 and Apr 6 fall on the weekend. This means that if Apr 8 and Apr 9 are declared public holidays, government workers will get 10 days off this year. But the committee on law and order only recommended a public holiday be declared on Apr 9.

The Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh had called for public holidays to be declared on Apr 8 and Apr 9 to ‘reduce the hassle’ for Eid travellers. The organisation says some 16 million people from Dhaka and its surrounding districts will travel home for the Eid break. Due to the weekends and public holidays, more people will likely make the trip this year.

To reduce the rush, the PWAB recommended extending the holiday to prevent ‘accidents and suffering’.