Public holidays in Bangladesh
has numerous public holidays, including national memorial, religious and secular holidays of Bengali origin. The Bengali traditional calendar, known as Banggabda 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 secular seven national holidays. For the Muslims, four major Islamic holidays: Muharram, Mawlid, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are observed. For the Hindus: Krishna Janmashtami and Durga Puja are celebrated. As for the Christians and Buddhists: Christmas and Vesak are celebrated.
National holidays
Standard calendar Date | Bengali Date | Bengali name | English name | Commemorates |
21 February | 9 Falgun | শহীদ দিবস | Language Martyrs' Day | Protests and sacrifices to protect Bengali as a national language during Bengali Language Movement of 1952. |
17 March | 3 Choitro | মুজিব জয়ন্তী | Mujib's Birthday & Children's Day | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' Birthday, founder of Bangladesh and National Children's Day. |
26 March | 12 Choitro | স্বাধীনতা দিবস | Independence Day | Proclamation of Independence and the start of the Liberation War. |
14 April | 1 Boishakh | পহেলা বৈশাখ | Bengali New Year's Day | The start of the Bengali calendar year. |
1 May | মে দিবস | May Day | International Workers' Solidarity Day | |
15 August | 31 Srabon | National Mourning Day | Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | |
2 Poush | বিজয় দিবস | Victory Day | Surrender of Pakistan, ending of the Liberation War. |
Religious holidays
Islamic holidays
Hindu holidays
Christian holidays
Buddhist holidays
Partial holidays or national days
Festivals in Bangladesh
- List of festivals in Bangladesh