Dhaka, Feb 15, 2026: The High Court has directed that all government and private secondary and lower secondary schools across Bangladesh remain closed from February 18 instead of March 8 in observance of the holy month of Ramadan.
The order was issued on Sunday by a High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Md. Asif Hasan following a preliminary hearing of a writ petition. Alongside the directive, the court also issued a rule seeking clarification on the matter.
The writ petition was filed on January 20 by Supreme Court lawyer Md. Ilias Ali Mondal. Senior advocate AKM Fayez and Ilias Ali Mondal represented the petitioner during the hearing. Deputy Attorney General Muhammad Shafikur Rahman and Assistant Attorney General Mohiuddin Md. Hanif appeared on behalf of the state.
Speaking after the hearing, Ilias Ali Mondal said two separate notices had been issued regarding Ramadan holidays. One circular stated that MPO-listed and Ebtedayee madrasas would remain closed from February 15 for the entire month of Ramadan. However, a separate notice concerning secondary schools indicated that their holiday would begin on March 8.
He argued that both circulars were issued by the same ministry, creating what he described as a discriminatory situation. The High Court, after reviewing the petition, ruled that secondary schools should also remain closed from February 18, ensuring that they observe the full Ramadan period in the same manner as madrasas.
Earlier, the Directorate of Madrasa Education published a draft holiday schedule for 2026 stating that MPO-listed and Ebtedayee madrasas would remain closed from February 15 to March 26. The holidays cover Ramadan, Shaheed Day and International Mother Language Day (February 21), Independence and National Day (March 26), Shab-e-Qadr (March 17), Jumu’atul Wida (March 20), and Eid-ul-Fitr (March 21).
Separately, on December 28 last year, the Secondary and Higher Education Division under the Ministry of Education issued the 2026 academic calendar for secondary and lower secondary schools. According to that schedule, holidays for Ramadan and related occasions were set to begin on March 8 and continue until March 26.
The writ petition argued that around 98 percent of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim and cited constitutional provisions, including Article 2A declaring Islam as the state religion and Article 31 regarding lawful authority. It maintained that since independence, educational institutions have traditionally remained closed during Ramadan, and that keeping primary and secondary schools open during the month would be inconsistent with established practice and constitutional principles.
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