The special assistant to the chief advisor of the interim government Mahfuz Alam on Tuesday announced that the holiday for Durga Puja has been extended by one day.
Mahfuz Alam after visiting Dhakeshwari National Temple on Tuesday told reporters, "The Puja holiday will be extended by one day. Thursday will also be a holiday for the festival, and the official notification will be issued today."
He also addressed concerns about domestic and foreign conspiracies affecting the country, stating, "The government is working to counter these conspiracies. Authorities are determined to apprehend the wrongdoers, and no conspirators will be spared."
In addition, he conveyed a message to those attempting to destabilize the country: "The current interim government is standing firm with everyone."
According to the government holiday calendar, Sunday (13 October), was previously declared as the Puja holiday. With the inclusion of Thursday, (10 October), government employees will now enjoy a total of four consecutive days off, as the weekend holidays fall on 11 October (Friday) and 12 October (Saturday).
Meanwhile, schools and colleges will remain closed for nine days to observe Durga Puja, Fateha-e-Yazdaham, Lakshmi Puja, and Prabarana Purnima. Including the weekends, the total break for students will extend to 11 days.
As per the academic calendar released by the Ministry of Education, the Durga Puja holiday will begin on Wednesday (9 October), and continue until Thursday (17 October). Since the following two days are Friday and Saturday, educational institutions will reopen on Sunday, October 20. Additionally, the holiday for Vijaya Dashami is on 13 October, Fateha-e-Yazdaham on 15 October, and both Lakshmi Puja and Prabarana Purnima on 16 October.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
