On the occasion of parliamentary elections and referendum, the holiday will start, offices and courts will be closed, and the essential services will be operational

ফাইল ছবি

News Desk: A consecutive holiday has begun across the country marking the upcoming parliamentary election and referendum. During this period, schools, colleges, offices, courts, and various government and private institutions will remain closed. However, several essential services will continue to operate.

The 13th National Parliamentary Election and the referendum are scheduled to be held on Thursday (12 February). To ensure the smooth exercise of voting rights and for the convenience of citizens, the government has declared a nationwide public holiday on election day.

In addition, 11 February has also been declared a public holiday. With the weekly holidays on 13 and 14 February (Friday and Saturday) added, the total break extends to four days. As a result, many city residents have left Dhaka to cast their votes in their hometowns, with many continuing to travel today.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration, in line with the decision of the Advisory Council meeting, 11 and 12 February have been declared public holidays by executive order for all government, semi-government, autonomous, private institutions, and educational institutions to facilitate voting and election activities.

Educational institutions will enjoy a five-day holiday in total due to the election and the religious observance of Shivaratri Brata. The holiday, which began today, will continue until 15 February.

Banks and financial institutions are also included in the extended holiday. As per Bangladesh Bank’s decision, all banks and financial institutions across the country will remain closed on 11 and 12 February, in addition to the weekly holidays on 13 and 14 February.

Meanwhile, all shops, commercial establishments, and shopping malls across the country, including in Dhaka, will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday (12 February) in observance of the election. The decision was announced by the Shop Owners’ Association. However, despite the general holiday, certain essential and emergency services will remain operational for public convenience.

Essential Services That Will Remain Open

Emergency Services: Hospitals, fire service, electricity, gas, water supply, and emergency telecommunications services will remain operational.

Media: Newspaper offices, online news portals, television channels, and media personnel are exempt from the holiday.

Law Enforcement Agencies: Police, Ansar, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Army (deployed for election duty) will remain on active duty.