Government workers have returned to their offices at the Secretariat – the heart of the administration – after five days off for the Eid and Bangla New Year holidays.

The work day began at 9am with workers and officials exchanging Eid and Bangla New Year greetings on Monday.

Ministers, secretaries, additional secretaries, and most officials in public administration, commerce, food, power and energy, and shipping were present on Monday, but some middle-ranking officials are still on vacation.

There weren’t too many visitors to the office on the first day after the break and so the area was missing the usual tangle of cars at the Secretariat.

“I don’t like seeing an empty Secretariat,” said Textiles Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak. “The streets of Dhaka are still empty. We want to see the usual activity at the Secretariat. This week may continue to be a bit relaxed, but by next week the usual vibrancy will return.”

“Bangladesh celebrated two major festivals. A day after Eid, the Bengali nation celebrated the new year in a non-sectarian spirit,” Nanak said.

The Eid-ul-Fitr holiday extended from Apr 10 – Apr 12 this year. Apr 13 fell on a weekend and Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla New Year 1431, was on Sunday, Apr 14. As a result, government workers were able to enjoy five consecutive days off.

The Sunday before the Eid holiday, Apr 7, was the Shabbat holiday. As such, those employees who decided to take Apr 8 and Apr 9 off could enjoy a ten-day holiday.

Eradul Haque, deputy secretary at the Ministry of Power, said that he was at the station on Eid day, but he went on a day trip to his village home in Bagerhat the day after Eid. He was at the office on time on Monday.

Power Secretary Habibur Rahman exchanged greetings with ministry colleagues in the morning.

“We have safely returned to work after the holiday,” he said. “Everyone will be back at their regular duties from today.”

“I exchanged greetings with my colleagues at the office since I arrived this morning,” said Mohammad Navid Safiullah, additional secretary of the Export Division of the Ministry of Commerce. “I will go to meet the secretary in a bit.”