Public holidays in Bangladesh

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Bangladesh has numerous public holidays, including national memorial, religious and secular holidays of Bengali origin. The Bengali traditional calendar, known as Baṅgābda is the national and official calendar in Bangladesh. The holidays are celebrated according to Bengali, Islamic or Gregorian calendars for religious and civil purposes, respectively. Religious festivals like Eid are celebrated according to the Islamic calendar whereas other national holidays are celebrated according to the Bengali and Gregorian calendar. While the Islamic calendar is based on the movement of the moon, it loses synchronization with the seasons, through seasonal drift. Therefore, some public holidays are subject to change every year based on the lunar calendar.

There are fifteen public holidays in Bangladesh. Muslims and non-Muslims have four religious holidays each in addition to the seven secular national holidays. For the Muslims, nine major Islamic holidays: Ashura, Mawlid, Isra' and Mi'raj, Shab-e-Barat, first day of Ramadan, Revelation of the Quran, Laylat al-Qadr, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are observed. For the Hindus: Holi, Krishna Janmashtami, Durga Puja, Diwali and Raksha Bandhan are celebrated. As for the Christians: New Year, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Halloween, Christmas Eve, Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve are celebrated. Buddhists: Vesak and Chinese New Year are celebrated.

National holidays[edit]

Standard calendar Date Bengali Date
(as revised 2019)
Bengali name English name Commemorates
21 February 8 Falgun শহীদ দিবস (Shôhid Dibôs) Language Martyrs' Day
International Mother Language Day
Protests and sacrifices to protect Bengali as a national language during Bengali Language Movement of 1952.
17 March 2 Choitro মুজিব জয়ন্তী (Mujib jaẏantī) Mujib's Birthday & Children's Day Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' Birthday, founder of Bangladesh and National Children's Day.
26 March 12 Choitro স্বাধীনতা দিবস (Shadhinôta Dibôs) Independence Day Proclamation of Independence and the start of the Liberation War.
14 April 1 Boishakh পহেলা বৈশাখ (Pôhela Bôishakh) Bengali New Year's Day The start of the Bengali calendar year.
1 May 18 Boishakh মে দিবস (Me Dibôs) May Day International Workers' Solidarity Day
15 August 31 Srabon জাতীয় শোক দিবস (Jatiyô shok dibôs) National Day of Mourning Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
16 December 1 Poush বিজয় দিবস (Bijôy Dibôs) Victory Day Surrender of Pakistan, ending of the Liberation War.

Religious holidays[edit]

Islamic holidays[edit]

Hijri date Gregorian calendar date Bengali name English name Commemorates
10 Muharram আশুরা (Ashura) Ashura Shia: death of Husayn ibn Ali;
Sunni: parting of the Red Sea
12 Rabi' al-awwal ঈদে মিলাদুন্নবী (Īdē milādunnabī) Eid-e-Miladun-Nabi Birth of Muhammad
1-3 Shawal ঈদুল ফিতর (Īdul phitar) Eid ul-Fitr End of the month of Ramadan. (Festival of Fastbreaking)
10-12 Dhu al-Hijjah ঈদুল আযহা (Īdul ājahā) Eid ul-Adha "Sacrifice Feast", the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son.
15 Shaban শবে বরাত (shab-e-barat) Shab-e-Barat 15 of Shaban. Muslims ask for forgiveness for their wrongdoings.[1]
Last Friday of the holy Ramadan month জুমাতুল বিদা (Jumātula bidā) Jumu'atul-Wida The day is observed in Bangladesh, marks one of the most sacred days in the Islamic calendar, signifying the last Friday of Ramadan. It is a day of profound prayer and reflection, where Muslims across the nation gather in mosques, seeking forgiveness and blessings in the closing moments of this holy month.[2]

Hindu holidays[edit]

Bengali Date Gregorian date Bengali name English name Commemorates
X Bhadro X August জন্মাষ্টমী (Jônmashṭômi) Krishna Janmashtami The birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.
X Ashwin or X Kartiko X September or X October দুর্গা পূজা (Durga Puja) Durga Puja The battle of goddess Durga with the shape-shifting, deceptive and powerful buffalo demon Mahishasura, and her emerging victorious.

Christian holidays[edit]

Bengali Date Gregorian date Bengali name English name Commemorates
11 Poush 25 December বড়দিন (Bôṛôdin) Christmas Day Jesus Christ's birthday.

Buddhist holidays[edit]

Bengali Date Gregorian date Bengali name English name Commemorates
X Boishakh or X Joishtho X May or X June বুদ্ধ পূর্ণিমা (Buddhô Purnima) Buddha's Birthday The birth of the Prince Siddhartha Gautama, later the Gautama Buddha and founder of Buddhism.

Partial holidays or national days[edit]

Date Name Commemorates
25 March Genocide Remembrance Day The Bengali Genocide of 1971.[3][4][5]
21 November Armed Forces Day[6] The day in 1971, when the members of Army, Navy and Air force of the Bangladesh liberation war forces were fully operational and launched a coordinated offensive against the Pakistani Army.[7]
14 December Martyred Intellectuals Day[8] 1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals by Pakistani forces and their collaborators during the 1971 Liberation War, particularly on 25 March and 14 December 1971.[9][10]

Festivals in Bangladesh[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ DhakaDon (October 27, 2023). "Bangladesh Holiday Calendar 2024". Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "Bangladesh Public Holidays 2024 List and Calendar - BD Public News". bdpublicnews.com. November 27, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  3. ^ "PM slams Pakistan for propaganda about '71 genocide". The Daily Star. February 20, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  4. ^ "Declare March 25 as Genocide Day". The Daily Sun. February 17, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "Bangladesh declares March 25 as Genocide Day". NTV. March 11, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  6. ^ "Armed Forces Day being marked". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "Govt will continue efforts to modernise armed forces: PM". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. November 20, 2002. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
  8. ^ "Martyred Intellectuals Day observed in Bangladesh". dna. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  9. ^ Rahman, Syedur; Craig Baxter (2002). Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh. Scarecrow Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-8170945888.
  10. ^ Muazzam Hussain Khan (2012), "Killing of Intellectuals", in Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.), Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.), Asiatic Society of Bangladesh