The holiday for Durga Puja has been extended to two days, as announced by Mahfuz Alam, special assistant to Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus.

The announcement came after Alam's visit to Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka on Tuesday (October 8).

This year, Durga Puja will have an extended holiday period starting from Thursday, October 10. The official festivities commence on Wednesday (October 9) with the final day, Dashami, on Sunday, October 13, when idol immersions mark the conclusion of the celebrations. Consequently, Sunday has also been declared a government holiday.

Explaining the reasons for extending the holiday, Mahfuz Alam said, "For a long time, the Hindu community was demanding to extend the holiday of Durga Puja. They celebrate from Shashti to Dasami. This time Friday-Saturday falls before the tenth day of Durga Puja. So we thought of extending the holiday by one day, so that they get a big time to celebrate the puja.”

With Friday and Saturday already being weekend holidays, the Durga Puja holidays will span a total of four days this year, from Thursday through Sunday.

BOB Post