All scheduled banks operating in Bangladesh will remain closed on Wednesday, December 31, following the government’s declaration of a public holiday in honour of former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
Bangladesh Bank Department of Off-site Supervision issued a circular to managing directors and chief executives of all banks on Tuesday confirming the closure.
The decision follows a notification from the Ministry of Public Administration, which declared a one-day public holiday by executive order after the former prime minister’s death.
According to the circular, banks will observe a bank holiday on Wednesday. However, banks may keep specific branches or departments open at their discretion if required to complete annual or half-yearly financial accounting for 2025.
Separately, Bangladesh Bank has postponed its scheduled press conference on the activities of Sammilito Islami Bank following Begum Khaleda Zia’s death.
The central bank announced the decision through a short message service sent to media outlets on Tuesday afternoon. It also circulated the logo of Sammilito Islami Bank to journalists on the same day.
According to the message, the press conference, originally scheduled for 5:00pm at Bangladesh Bank headquarters, has been cancelled in light of the national mourning declared after Begum Zia’s demise. The central bank said a formal press release on the matter will be issued later.
