C T Online Desk: The seven-day public holiday for Eid-ul-Azha ends on Sunday, with government and private offices, courts, banks, insurance companies and the country’s capital market set to reopen on Monday.
Working people have already begun returning to the capital after spending the extended holiday with their families.
The government declared a public holiday from May 25 to May 31 for Eid-ul-Azha. Combined with the weekly holiday, government employees enjoyed a seven-day break. Regular activities at government, semi-government, autonomous, semi-autonomous and private institutions will resume from Monday.
On the final day of the holiday, a steady flow of returnees was seen at major entry points to the capital and at Kamalapur Railway Station. Passengers from different parts of the country arrived in Dhaka by train throughout the day, although no unusual crowding was reported.
Passengers said most trains operated in a comfortable environment. While many services ran on schedule, some trains from Netrokona, Jamalpur and Mymensingh experienced delays of two to three hours due to congestion on single-track sections.
According to railway sources, a total of 66 trains—including 43 intercity and 23 local, mail and commuter services—are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka with returning passengers on Sunday. An Eid special train will continue operating daily from Monday.
Traffic on Dhaka’s roads has also been gradually increasing as people return from their hometowns. However, officials expect the first working day after Eid to remain relatively less busy, as many employees spend the day exchanging greetings with colleagues and some organizations operate on a limited scale.
Meanwhile, normal banking operations will resume nationwide on Monday, beyond the limited services that remained available before Eid. Regular trading will also restart at the Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges.
Officials expect administrative, financial and commercial activities across the country to return to normal from Monday following the extended Eid holiday.
