Is today a public holiday in Bangladesh?

Labour Act 2006, Negotiable Instruments Act & Financial Rails

In the People's Republic of Bangladesh, statutory public holidays are gazetted annually by the Ministry of Public Administration (MOPA) pursuant to executive approval by the Advisory Council. Official holidays are legally classified into three distinct statutory tiers under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (Act No. XXVI of 1881) and executive service rules:

• General Holidays (সাধারণ ছুটি): Mandatory nationwide public holidays decreed under the Negotiable Instruments Act. These include major civic milestones—such as International Mother Language Day (21 February / শহীদ দিবস), Independence & National Day (26 March), May Day (1 May), and Victory Day (16 December / বিজয় দিবস)—alongside core religious solemnities (Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Durga Puja, Buddha Purnima, and Christmas Day).
• Holidays by Executive Order (নির্বাহী আদেশে সরকারি ছুটি): Gazetted non-working days for government, semi-government, and statutory bodies, including Pahela Baishakh (Bangla Nababarsha, 14 April), Shab-e-Barat, Shab-e-Qadr, Ashura, and extended festival bridge days.
• Optional Holidays (ঐচ্ছিক ছুটি): Religious allowances permitted for employees belonging to specific faith communities (Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and ethnic minority communities) upon advance supervisor application.

Bangladesh Labour Act 2006: Section 118 Festival Holidays

For private-sector enterprises, industrial factories, and commercial establishments, holiday rights are governed by Section 118 of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 (Act No. XLII of 2006), enforced by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE):

• Statutory 11-Day Entitlement: Under Section 118(1), every worker is legally entitled to at least 11 paid festival holidays (উৎসব ছুটি) in each calendar year. The specific calendar dates are determined by the employer in formal consultation with the enterprise's Participation Committee or registered trade union.
• Working on Festival Holidays: Under Section 118(2), an employer may require a worker to perform duties on a festival holiday only if the worker is granted two days' additional compensatory paid holidays (বিকল্প ছুটি) alongside a substitute holiday, or is remunerated under statutory overtime formulas.
• Double Wage Overtime (Section 108): When overtime hours or mandatory holiday shifts are performed, Section 108 dictates that the employee must be compensated at twice the ordinary rate of basic wage and dearness allowance (200% wage rate).

The Friday–Saturday Weekend & 'No Rollover' Rule

Bangladesh operates on an official Friday and Saturday weekly rest cycle across all government ministries, supreme and subordinate courts, commercial banks, and financial institutions. However, many export-oriented ready-made garment (RMG) factories and industrial plants observe a single Friday rest day.

Under Bangladeshi statutory jurisprudence, there is no automatic Sunday rollover mechanism. If a statutory public holiday—such as Independence Day or Victory Day—falls on a Friday or Saturday, the holiday is absorbed by the weekend and lost. The government does not shift unworked weekend holidays to the following Sunday unless an ad hoc executive notification is specifically decreed by the Cabinet Division. Plan vacation schedules and bridge days with our 2026 PTO Maximizer.

Banking Clearing Rails: Bangladesh Bank, BD-RTGS & MFS 24/7

Financial clearing infrastructure is operated by Bangladesh Bank (BB) under Payment Systems Department (PSD) directives:

• Wholesale Rails (BD-RTGS & BEFTN): The Bangladesh Real Time Gross Settlement (BD-RTGS) system and the Bangladesh Electronic Funds Transfer Network (BEFTN) pause settlement on all gazetted general holidays, executive holidays, and bank holidays. Paper cheque truncation through the Bangladesh Automated Cheque Processing System (BACPS) halts until the next banking day. Calculate financial turnaround times using our Working Days Calculator.
• Statutory Bank Closings (1 July & 31 December): Under the Negotiable Instruments Act, commercial banks observe two annual non-transactional holidays: 1 July (Half-Yearly Closing) and 31 December (Annual Bank Closing). Bank branches remain closed for counter deposits, teller cash, and over-the-counter remittances, though internal auditing operations continue.
• Instant Digital Payments & MFS: Retail payment rails operating over the National Payment Switch Bangladesh (NPSB)—including Interbank Fund Transfers (IBFT)—and Mobile Financial Services (MFS) platforms like bKash, Nagad, and Rocket operate 24/7/365. Wallet-to-wallet transfers, merchant QR payments, and mobile utility billings settle in real time regardless of holidays.

Capital Markets (Dhaka Stock Exchange & CSE)

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) conduct securities and bond trading from Sunday through Thursday, reflecting the national workweek. Both exchanges halt trading on all gazetted General Holidays, Executive Order holidays, and bank holidays (including 1 July and 31 December). When Muslim holidays (such as Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha) involve multi-day government breaks, market trading halts for the entire duration decreed by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC).

Bangladesh Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in Bangladesh, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in Bangladesh

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in Bangladesh should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: