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Dhaka and other parts of the country returned to their usual pace of life on Sunday as government and private offices, banks, insurance companies, financial institutions and stock markets resumed operations after a five-day holiday for Durga Puja and the weekly weekend.
The long break, which began with special holidays around the Hindu festival, ended with the reopening of offices and workplaces, bringing back the familiar bustle of the capital.
Government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions, along with private offices and courts, resumed their regular activities from the morning.
The five-day holiday comprised a special holiday on Tuesday (October 20) on the occasion of Maha Navami, the public holiday on Wednesday (October 21) for Bijoya Dashami, and another special holiday on Thursday (October 22), followed by the regular weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday (October 23 and 24).
The extended break had brought administrative and business activities across the country to a standstill, leaving many routine official tasks and public services pending.
With offices reopening, employees returned to their workplaces while banks and financial institutions saw customers gathering to complete transactions and other work that had remained pending during the holiday.
Dhaka had remained relatively quiet over the five-day break, as many residents left the capital for their hometowns and villages. Those who stayed behind visited entertainment venues across the city, which drew crowds during the holiday.
The capital, however, regained its familiar busy appearance on Sunday, with traffic congestion returning to major roads and commuters jostling to board buses.
The return of workers and commuters to offices and workplaces marked the resumption of normal economic and administrative activities after the extended holiday.
