7-day Eid-ul-Azha vacation begins

The nationwide seven-day Eid-ul-Azha holiday begans on Monday, allowing millions of people to travel to their hometowns to celebrate the festival with family members.

Under the government-declared holiday schedule, offices will remain closed from 25 May to 31 May for employees of government, semi-government, autonomous and private institutions.

The holy Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest religious festivals of Muslims, will be celebrated across the country on Thursday (28 May).

As offices closed after works on Sunday, a large number of people started leaving the capital and other major cities, intensifying the rush at bus terminals, railway stations and launch ghats.

To ensure a smoother and more comfortable Eid journey, the government earlier revised the holiday schedule by adding an extra public holiday through a special executive order, creating a continuous seven-day vacation for employees.

According to the Ministry of Public Administration, the extended holiday schedule was finalised by combining the Eid holidays with executive-order holidays before and after the festival.

Earlier on 7 May, the cabinet approved a proposal declaring Monday (25 May) a public holiday while keeping offices open on Saturday (23 May) and Sunday (24 May) to facilitate Eid travel and reduce congestion on highways and transport terminals.

With the beginning of the long vacation, millions of holidaymakers have already started heading to their village homes to share the joy of Eid with their loved ones.

Heavy crowds were seen at major bus terminals, railway stations and launch ghats since early morning, although authorities said the overall Eid journey remained largely smooth and under control.

"Police personnel have been deployed to ensure hassle-free movement of passengers and smooth traffic management," Deputy Commissioner of Mirpur Traffic Division Md Sanowar Hossain said.

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During visits to Gabtoli, Mohakhali, Fulbaria, Gulistan and Sayedabad bus terminals, large numbers of passengers were seen waiting for buses, while many chose to begin their journeys early to avoid last-minute congestion.

Passengers said most long-distance buses were leaving on schedule, although some routes experienced delays due to heavy passenger pressure.