The government is set to declare 22 October a holiday by executive order, allowing a five-day holiday for Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community.
The announcement was made by Bijon Kanti Sarkar, the prime minister’s special assistant for Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and ethnic minority affairs, on Tuesday.
The five-day holiday period will run from 20 to 24 October, with Durga Puja celebrations beginning on 17 October.
According to Bijon, 20 October will be a holiday by executive order on the occasion of Maha Nabami, while 21 October will be a general holiday for Bijoya Dashami.
22 October, a Thursday, will also be declared a holiday by executive order, followed by the regular weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday, he said.
This will give people five consecutive holidays across the country.
Sources said a proposal to declare 22 October a holiday will be placed before the Cabinet for approval.
Higher allocation for Durga Puja
Bijon also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has increased the special allocation for Durga Puja from the Prime Minister’s Fund by Tk1 crore this year.
“The special allocation for puja mandaps across the country used to be Tk4 crore from the Prime Minister’s Fund. This year, the prime minister has increased it by another Tk1 crore,” he said.
As a result, the allocation for puja mandaps will rise to Tk5 crore this year.
The government has also increased funding for the Buddhist community for the celebrations of Prabarana Purnima and Kathin Chibor Dan.
The allocation from the Religious Welfare Trust has been raised by Tk1 crore, from Tk2 crore last year to Tk3 crore this year, according to the special assistant.
Celebrations of Prabarana Purnima and Kathin Chibor Dan are scheduled to begin in the second week of October and continue until mid-November.
