Eid exodus starts as weeklong holiday kicks off across Bangladesh

Published : Tuesday, 17 March, 2026 at 1:28 PM Count : 67

A seven-day public holiday began today as people across Bangladesh prepare to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival for Muslims.

Government offices, courts and many private institutions will remain closed during the extended break, triggering a nationwide travel rush as people leave major cities, especially Dhaka, to celebrate the festival with their families in hometowns.

Yesterday marked the last working day before Eid-ul-Fitr. Subject to moon sighting, the festival is expected to be observed in Bangladesh on March 20 or 21.

As Eid approaches, city residents have already started leaving Dhaka, with passenger pressure at major transport hubs rising sharply since last night. Although some travellers began their journeys earlier in the week, the rush intensified as the holiday officially commenced.

Buses continued to depart from Sayedabad for destinations across the country, including Sylhet, Chattogram, Barishal and Khulna, carrying homebound passengers. Many long-distance travellers secured tickets in advance to avoid last-minute disruptions.

To ease travel and ensure uninterrupted holidays, the government declared March 18 an additional public holiday, making Monday the final working day for government employees before Eid.

As a result, public sector employees will enjoy a continuous seven-day break from March 17 to March 23.

According to the official holiday schedule, March 21 has been designated as the general holiday for Eid-ul-Fitr. In addition, March 19 and 20, as well as March 22 and 23, were earlier declared holidays by executive order, two days before and two days after Eid.

March 17 had already been declared a public holiday for Shab-e-Qadr. Initially, March 18 was set as a working day between the holidays.

However, amid growing public demand for uninterrupted leave to facilitate Eid travel, the proposal to declare March 18 a holiday was approved at a cabinet meeting. The Ministry of Public Administration later issued a notification on March 8, confirming the extended holiday period.

FP/MI