Bangladesh Holidays & Observances 2025
(Full One-Page Encyclopedia • Super-Deep Explanations)**
Bangladesh’s holiday calendar is a living reflection of its
identity — shaped by Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, language
movements, and national history.
This single-page encyclopedia explains every holiday deeply, month by month.
✅ JANUARY
🔹 Bank Holiday – New
Year’s Day (Observance)
Date: 1 January
While not a nationwide cultural celebration, New Year’s Day is observed as a bank
holiday across Bangladesh.
Government and private banks, along with many financial institutions, close for
the day.
Activities include:
- Year-end
financial auditing
- Organizational
planning
- Limited
business operations
It marks the administrative shift into a new calendar year,
though traditional Bengali New Year (Pohela Boishakh) is celebrated in April.
✅ FEBRUARY
❤️ Valentine’s Day (Observance)
Date: 14 February
Popular among Bangladeshi youth, especially in Dhaka and major cities.
Celebrated with:
- Gift
exchanges
- Social
media greetings
- Flowers
(especially roses)
- Couples
dining out
- Cultural
events & concerts
Though not traditional, it reflects modern urban culture.
🩸 Shaheed Dibash &
International Mother Language Day (Public Holiday)
Date: 21 February
One of Bangladesh’s most emotionally significant days.
Marks the 1952 Language Movement when students were killed protesting to
preserve Bengali as a state language.
Key traditions:
- Placing
flowers at Shaheed Minar at dawn
- Barefoot
processions
- Cultural
programs on Bangla literature
- Nationwide
respect for linguistic rights
UNESCO declared it International Mother Language Day
in 1999, making it globally recognized.
✅ MARCH
🌙 Shab-e-Barat (Public
Holiday)
Date: 8 March
Signifies the Night of Forgiveness.
Muslims engage in:
- Night-long
prayers
- Qur’an
recitations
- Visiting
graves of loved ones
- Sharing
food with the poor
Believed to be the night when destinies for the year are
written.
🎉 Birthday of Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Public Holiday)
Date: 17 March
Celebrates the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation.
Events include:
- Wreath-laying
at his mausoleum
- Political
gatherings
- School
events
- Speeches
about his legacy
It is also National Children’s Day.
🇧🇩 Independence
Day (Public Holiday)
Date: 26 March
Marks the 1971 declaration of independence from Pakistan.
Nationwide celebrations:
- Parades
- Speeches
- Concerts
- Light
decorations
- Tributes
to freedom fighters
It symbolizes Bangladesh’s birth and liberation struggle.
🌙 Shab-e-Qadr (Public
Holiday)
Date: 27 March
The “Night of Power,” one of the holiest nights in Islam.
Believed to be the night the Qur’an was first revealed.
Muslims pray deeply for forgiveness, blessings, and guidance.
🕌 Eid ul-Fitr (Public
Holidays)
Dates: 30 & 31 March
Celebrated after a month of fasting (Ramadan).
Bangladesh traditions:
- Eid
congregational prayers
- Wearing
new clothes
- Preparing
sweets like shemai & firni
- Visiting
relatives
- Charity
to the poor (fitra)
The country becomes vibrant with travel, shopping, and
family gatherings.
✅ APRIL
🌙 Eid ul-Fitr –
Additional Day
Date: 1 April
Bangladesh typically grants multiple days for Eid to accommodate travel and
family reunions.
🎉 Pahela Baishakh –
Bengali New Year (Public Holiday)
Date: 14 April
One of Bangladesh’s largest cultural festivals.
Highlights include:
- The
Mangal Shobhajatra procession (UNESCO heritage)
- Traditional
foods: panta ilish
- Folk
music and dance
- Wearing
red-white traditional clothing
Marks the start of Bengali calendar year 1432.
✅ MAY
🔨 May Day (Public
Holiday)
Date: 1 May
Honors workers and the labor movement.
Observed through:
- Worker
rallies
- Union
gatherings
- Government
discussions on rights
Symbolizes solidarity and workplace justice.
🪷 Buddha Purnima (Public
Holiday)
Date: 12 May
Most sacred Buddhist festival, celebrating:
- Buddha’s
birth
- Enlightenment
- Passing
into Nirvana
Observed in temples in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Cox's Bazar
with:
- Prayer
- Candle
lighting
- Processions
- Almsgiving
- Teachings
of peace & compassion
✅ JUNE
🕋 Eid ul-Azha (Public
Holidays)
Dates: 6, 7, 8 June
The “Festival of Sacrifice.”
Major practices:
- Animal
sacrifice (cow/goat)
- Distribution
of meat to poor families
- Eid
prayers
- Family
gatherings
Symbolizes devotion, charity, and community care.
✅ JULY
🟢 Ashura (Public Holiday)
Date: 5 July
Observed mainly by Shia Muslims, but respected nationwide.
Commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain at Karbala.
Traditions:
- Mourning
processions
- Sermons
- Fasting
(for Sunni Muslims)
- Charity
A day of reflection on sacrifice and justice.
✅ AUGUST
🖤 National Mourning Day
(Public Holiday)
Date: 15 August
Remembers the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman in 1975.
Nationwide mourning includes:
- Flags
at half-mast
- Prayer
services
- Speeches
and documentaries
- Black
badges
- Visits
to his tomb in Tungipara
🕉 Janmashtami (Public
Holiday)
Date: 26 August
Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna.
Observed with:
- Processions
- Temple
prayers
- Bhajans
- Fasting
and night vigils
Dhaka’s Dhakeshwari Temple becomes a major center for
celebrations.
✅ SEPTEMBER
🌙 Milad-un-Nabi (Public
Holiday)
Date: 5 September
Celebrates the birth of Prophet Muhammad.
Observed with:
- Qur’an
recitations
- Religious
gatherings
- Sermons
on the Prophet’s life
- Charity
and community meals
✅ OCTOBER
🕉 Durga Puja – Bijoya
Dashami (Public Holiday)
Date: 2 October
The biggest Hindu festival in Bangladesh.
Bijoya Dashami marks the end of Durga Puja:
- Idol
immersion (visarjan)
- Cultural
performances
- Blessings
from elders
- Community
feasts
Celebrated vibrantly in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Mymensingh.
✅ NOVEMBER
(No official holidays listed.)
✅ DECEMBER
🇧🇩 Victory Day
(Public Holiday)
Date: 16 December
Commemorates victory in the 1971 Liberation War.
Nationwide celebrations include:
- Military
parades
- Cultural
shows
- Light
decorations
- Sporting
events
- Tributes
to martyrs
Symbolizes Bangladesh’s freedom and national identity.
🎄 Christmas Day (Public
Holiday)
Date: 25 December
Celebrated by Bangladeshi Christians with:
- Church
services
- Carol
singing
- Family
feasts
- Charity
work
Dhaka’s Tejgaon and Chittagong have major Christmas
gatherings.