Bangladesh declares public holiday on Feb 11, the day before the election

Factory workers will get a three-day stretch off -- from Feb 11-13 -- surrounding the general election

The government has declared a public holiday on Feb 11, the day before the 13th national parliamentary election and referendum. The Advisory Council has also approved an additional day off for factory workers in industrial areas on Feb 10.

A public holiday had previously been declared on Feb 12, election day.

The decision was taken at an Advisory Council meeting on Thursday, said Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary to the chief advisor, at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy.

In addition to the previously declared public holiday on Feb 12, the Advisory Council had declared a public holiday on Feb 11 and an additional holiday for workers and officials in industrial areas on Feb 10, he said.

“I have good news for you today!” Shafiqul said. “You already have the 12th of February off for the election. And our brothers and sisters working in factories will now have holidays on the 10th and 11th as well. For you [everyone else] it will be the 11th and the 12th.”