August 15 Dropped from National Day List

The government has officially upheld the decision to cancel August 15 as National Mourning Day, according to a newly issued circular on the observance of national and international days.

The Cabinet Division released the circular on Wednesday, replacing an earlier directive issued in October 2024. However, the core decisions of the interim government remain unchanged.

Under the new directive, several previously observed national days have been removed from the official list. These include the historic March 7 speech day, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birthday and National Children’s Day on March 17, the birthdays of Sheikh Kamal and Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, August 15 National Mourning Day, Sheikh Russel Day, Constitution Day on November 4 and Smart Bangladesh Day on December 12.

At the same time, new commemorative days have been included.

August 5 will now be observed as “July Mass Uprising Day,” marking the fall of the Awami League government. In addition, July 16 will be observed as “July Martyrs’ Day” in memory of Abu Sayeed, a student who was killed during the 2024 mass protests in Rangpur.

The circular divides commemorative days into three categories: A, B and C.

Category A includes 17 nationally significant days that will be observed with full state importance.

Category B includes 37 days that may be celebrated on a larger scale, with ministers participating in events. For such programs, up to 50,000 taka may be allocated from government funds.

Category C includes 35 symbolic days that will be observed in a limited manner without any special government funding.

The circular also encourages ministries and government agencies to avoid repetitive or low-priority events in order to save time and public resources.

Officials say the new guidelines aim to streamline observances and reduce unnecessary government expenditure.