Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced that February 11 will be a public holiday ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election scheduled for February 12. The decision was revealed at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. Workers in industrial areas will also receive leave on February 10, while February 13 and 14 (Friday and Saturday) are regular weekends, resulting in a four-day holiday for government employees.

The press secretary said the cabinet meeting approved 13 agenda items, including the final approval of several draft laws and policies. These include the Bangladesh Private Export Processing Zone (Repeal) Act, the Gambling Prevention Ordinance 2026, the Right to Information Ordinance 2026, and the National Poultry Development Policy 2026. The cabinet also approved the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement and the Dhaka Central University Ordinance 2026.

According to Shafiqul Alam, the Gambling Prevention Ordinance 2026 defines 19 types of gambling and sets 15 categories of punishment, with a maximum fine of 500,000 taka and imprisonment up to 10 years.