All scheduled banks in Bangladesh will remain closed for three days from October 20 to 22 for the upcoming Durga Puja, followed by the regular weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday, resulting in a five-day closure.
However, one weekly holiday has been cancelled ahead of the festival, with banks scheduled to operate as usual on Saturday, October 17.
Bangladesh Bank issued a circular announcing the holiday late Sunday night, October 11. According to the circular signed by Md Abdul Mannan, director of the Supervisory Data Analytics Department (SDAD) of Bangladesh Bank, all scheduled banks operating in the country will remain closed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, October 20–22, 2026, in observance of Sharadiya Durga Puja 2026.
The decision follows a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on October 7. The circular also instructed banks to maintain limited import-export-related services at branches and booths located in seaport, land port and airport areas, including port and customs zones, during the holidays.
Under the directive, these services must continue on October 20–22, the public holidays, as well as October 23 and 24, the regular weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday.
The arrangement follows a Department of Off-site Supervision (DOS) circular issued on August 5, 2019, concerning round-the-clock banking services at port-area branches and booths.
Banks may take appropriate measures in consultation with local administrations and the relevant port or customs authorities to ensure the limited services continue.
The circular said the instructions were issued in the public interest under the authority granted by Section 45 of the Bank Company Act, 1991.
