The central bank of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Bank, has issued an official directive to all commercial banking institutions operating within the country, mandating the partial operation of branches associated with the ready-made garment (RMG) industry on Monday 25th May and Tuesday 26th May. This regulatory intervention has been implemented specifically to facilitate the timely disbursement of monthly salaries, outstanding wages, and festival bonuses to garment factory workers ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha celebrations.
According to the official circular disseminated by the central bank, specified banking branches located within major industrial clusters will remain open to handle financial transactions for a designated period. Financial transactions during these two days are scheduled to occur strictly between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, whilst the physical bank premises will remain accessible for necessary internal administrative work and clearing operations until 3:00 pm. This temporary measure is designed to ensure that factory owners possess the necessary liquidity and banking support to clear all statutory worker payments before the nation enters a prolonged holiday period.
Operating Schedules and Regional Coverage
The scope of this special banking window is strictly confined to regions with a high concentration of ready-made garment manufacturing units. The central bank directive explicitly identifies four key geographic zones where garment-related bank branches must maintain these limited operations:
Dhaka: The capital city houses numerous corporate offices and industrial units requiring continuous cash management support.
Gaziapur: A primary manufacturing hub featuring a dense concentration of large-scale textile and clothing factories.
Narayanganj: Historically significant industrial area containing numerous knitwear and apparel manufacturing establishments.
Savar: An administrative and industrial enclave on the outskirts of the capital containing major export processing facilities.
Outside of these designated areas, standard banking operations will remain suspended in accordance with the overarching national holiday calendar, which marks a significant temporary closure for the wider financial sector.
Overarching National Holiday Timeline
The specific operational mandate for the ready-made garment sector forms part of a broader, restructured banking schedule managed by the central authority to accommodate the festive period. To balance public convenience with institutional rest, Bangladesh Bank has structured a multi-tiered operational framework for the final weeks of May.
Prior to the targeted closures, all commercial banking institutions across the country are scheduled to remain fully operational over the weekend on Saturday 23rd May and Sunday 24th May. This temporary extension of normal weekend working hours is intended to alleviate transaction backlogs and allow the general public, commercial enterprises, and industrial clients to complete their essential financial tasks before the official vacation commences.
Following this pre-holiday operating window, a comprehensive seven-day banking holiday will take effect nationwide. From Monday 25th May until Sunday 31st May, all standard banking operations, clearing houses, and public transaction counters across Bangladesh will be officially closed. The solitary exception to this week-long shutdown remains the limited, conditional opening of the ready-made garment-linked bank branches in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Savar on the initial two days of the holiday period.
Official Operating Window Summary:
Saturday 23rd May – Sunday 24th May: All banking institutions open nationwide for regular services.
Monday 25th May – Tuesday 26th May: Special limited transactions (10:00 am to 1:00 pm) restricted entirely to garment-related branches in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Savar.
Monday 25th May – Sunday 31st May: Full nationwide banking holiday across all standard sectors and non-garment regions.
This strategic deployment of limited banking services is aimed directly at minimizing labor unrest, preventing delayed payments within the export-oriented clothing sector, and maintaining economic stability in the country’s most vital manufacturing industry during the major religious holiday. Normal financial operations across all banking sectors are slated to resume fully on Monday 1st June.