Government Employees Set for 8 Days Off in First Fortnight of February
Government employees in Bangladesh are looking forward to a unique "holiday month" as the first 15 days of February 2026 offer a rare opportunity to enjoy eight days of leave. This massive break is the result of a strategic overlap between religious observances, the upcoming national election, and regular weekends.
According to notifications from the Ministry of Public Administration and the Cabinet, these holidays are divided into two distinct four-day windows.
First Window: Shab-e-Barat (Feb 4–7)
The first break centers around the holy night of Shab-e-Barat, which is expected to be observed on the night of February 3.
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Official Holiday: Wednesday, February 4, is a government holiday by executive order.
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The Strategy: While Thursday, February 5, is a regular working day, employees who take a single day of Casual Leave (CL) on that day can secure a continuous 4-day break, as February 6 and 7 are the standard Friday-Saturday weekend.
Second Window: 13th National Election (Feb 11–14)
The government has significantly expanded the holiday period for the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the simultaneous July Charter Referendum scheduled for February 12.
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Pre-Election Holiday: To facilitate travel to voting districts, the Cabinet approved February 11 (Wednesday) as a new general holiday.
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Election Day: February 12 (Thursday) is a declared national holiday.
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Weekend Link: Since these are followed by Friday and Saturday (February 13–14), all government and private sector employees will automatically receive a 4-day long weekend.
Special Provisions for Industrial Workers
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced that the Cabinet has also approved February 10 (Tuesday) as a holiday specifically for workers in industrial zones. This ensures that millions of garment and factory workers have a full 3-day travel window (Feb 10–12) to reach their home constituencies before polling begins.
This holiday structure is part of the interim government's broader effort to ensure "festive and participative" polls, allowing voters from all corners of the country to return home and cast their ballots without work-related constraints.
