Govt may declare 22 Oct as holiday, extending Durga Puja vacation to 5 days
The additional holiday would turn the Puja vacation into a five-day holiday, including the Friday-Saturday weekend.
The government may declare 22 October a holiday for Durga Puja, which would give people a five-day break including the Friday-Saturday weekend, officials said.
According to the government's 2026 holiday calendar, 20 October has been declared an executive-order holiday for Nabami, while 21 October is a general holiday for Dashami.
The government's holiday calendar currently lists 22 October, Thursday, as a working day, followed by the Friday-Saturday weekend.
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If the government declares 22 October a holiday, people will therefore get five consecutive days off for Durga Puja, including the weekend.
A public administration ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said discussions were under way within the government over declaring 22 October a holiday.
The ministry will formally propose the holiday through an executive order. The holiday will be declared if the Cabinet approves the proposal, the official said.
Bijon Kanti Sarker, special assistant to the prime minister on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and ethnic minority affairs, also told reporters that 22 October could be declared a holiday through an executive order.
He also said the Friday-Saturday weekly holidays would mean a total five-day break.
