The journalists, officers and employees working in the newspaper industry will enjoy a six-day holiday on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of Muslims, this time.
The Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh came up with the announcement, saying that the organisation took a decision at a meeting on Saturday for the special holiday on April 13 alongside the Eid holiday.
Following the decision, the newspaper offices will remain closed from April 9 to April 14, and newspapers will not be published from April 10 to April 15.
According to tradition, journalists enjoy a three-day Eid holiday every year, starting from the 29th Ramadan followed by the Eid day and the next day. However, on the occasions when 30 days of fasting are observed, one more day is added to the holiday for the newspaper industry, making it four.
The maximum Eid holiday this year was supposed to be from April 9 to April 12, which is followed by the public holiday of April 14, marking the Bangla new year of Pahela Boishakh, with a gap of one day in between.
Filling up the gap, the newspapers owners association has declared April 13 as a special holiday.
Reportedly, concerns have been raised by the Newspaper Hawkers’ Multipurpose Cooperative Society regarding service disruptions, particularly due to the Pahela Boishakh holiday occurring just a day after the Eid holiday.
Moreover, the journalists’ organisations, the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and the Dhaka Union of Journalists, also urged the NOAB to declare a special holiday on April 13.