Cabinet okays public holidays for 2016

The cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for a list of government holidays for the year 2016 with a total of 22 public holidays.

The approval was given in the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam briefed reporters. He said the Public Administration Ministry placed the proposal for the list of government holidays after consultations with Bangla Academy, Religious Affairs Ministry and Meteorological Department.

According to the approved lists, there would be 14 public holidays in 2016. In addition, there would be another eight holidays, which would be observed on executive order from the government.

The cabinet secretary said the 14 general holidays will include four weekly holidays -- two Fridays and two Saturdays -- while out of the 8 (eight) holidays by executive order of the government, there would be no weekly holidays.

Shafiul Alam said apart from the 22 days government holidays, there will also be three-day optional holidays for various religious communities of the country.

Besides, there will also be optional holidays on 29th of Chaitra and 2nd of Boishakh for the people living in the Chittagong hill tract districts marking the "Boishabi" festival of the ethnic minority groups, he said.

The cabinet was apprised of the issue of schedule amendment to some ordinances implementation (special provision) act, 2013. The ordinances were promulgated between August 15 in 1975 and April 9 in 1979.

The issue of schedule amendment to some ordinances implementation (special provision) act, 2013 was also informed at the meeting. The ordinances were promulgated between March 24 in 1982 and November 11 in 1986.

The cabinet was apprised the participation of a Bangladesh delegation in the seventh meeting of the finance ministers and finance secretaries of the SAARC countries held in Kathmandu, Nepal on August 19-20 this year and the visit of a Bangladesh team led by the Science and Technology Minister to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the National Institute of Oceanography and the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in India on October 13-19.

The participation of a Bangladesh delegation led by the Science and Technology Minister in the 59th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Commission held in Vienna, Austria from September 14-18.

Ministers, state ministers concerned attended the meeting, while secretaries concerned were present.