United News of Bangladesh

Though a seven-day public holiday began on Tuesday to mark Eid-ul-Fitr, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended office at the Secretariat and continued his official work. The Prime Minister arrived at his office at around 11am, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon. “The Prime Minister came to his office at 11am. The Eid holidays have started but he is continuing his official work,” he said. He said the Prime Minister’s schedule for the day includes a cabinet meeting while several meetings were held earlier in the day. Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani and Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar received the Prime Minister when he arrived at the Secretariat. The Eid holidays began on March 17 and will continue until March 23. The Ministry of Public Administration earlier fixed a five-day holiday from March 19 to 23. March 19 and 20 before Eid and March 22 and 23 after Eid were declared holidays by an executive order.  To ease Eid travel, the government also declared March 18 a holiday, making it a continuous seven-day break along with the Shab-e-Qadr holiday on March 17. On Monday, the Prime Minister inaugurated a nationwide canal excavation and re-excavation programme by cutting soil with a spade at the Sahapara canal in Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur.