Leave is where labour law meets payroll every single month. In Bangladesh, the rules sit in the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006, and the 2026 reform cycle changed two of the headline entitlements: festival holidays and maternity leave.
This reference covers the statutory minimum for workers covered by the Act. Employers may always offer more.
The core entitlements at a glance
| Leave type | Statutory entitlement | Section |
| Weekly holiday | At least one day a week | 103 |
| Casual leave | 10 days a year with full wages; not carried forward | 115 |
| Sick leave | 14 days a year with full wages | 116 |
| Annual leave | After one year’s continuous service: one day for every 18 days worked (most establishments) | 117 |
| Festival holidays | 13 days a year with wages (increased from 11) | 118 |
| Maternity leave | 120 days: 60 before and 60 after delivery (increased from 112) | 46 and 47 |
Casual leave
Every worker is entitled to 10 days of casual leave a year with full wages. Unused casual leave cannot be carried into the next year. It is designed for short, unplanned absences.
Sick leave
Every worker is entitled to 14 days of sick leave a year with full wages. Employers typically require a medical certificate, and unused sick leave is not carried forward.
Annual leave
Annual leave depends on the type of establishment and on one year of continuous service. The rate is calculated on work performed in the previous 12 months:
• one day for every 18 days of work in a shop, commercial, industrial, factory or road transport establishment;
• one day for every 22 days of work in a tea plantation; and
• one day for every 11 days of work for a newspaper worker.
Adolescent workers earn annual leave at more generous rates. Unused annual leave can be accumulated within the limits set by the Act, and un-availed leave must be paid on separation.
Festival holidays
Under Section 118(1), as amended by the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2026 (Act No. 43 of 2026), workers are entitled to 13 festival holidays a year with wages, up from 11. Employers set the dates. A worker required to work on a festival holiday is entitled to a substitute day off and compensatory pay under the Act.
Maternity leave
The Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2026 replaced the eight-week periods in Sections 46 and 47 with 60 days. Maternity benefit now covers 60 days before and 60 days after delivery, and a woman may be absent with maternity benefit for up to 120 days, up from 16 weeks (112 days).
Eligibility depends on a minimum period of service with the employer before delivery, and the Act limits the cash benefit for women who already have two or more surviving children. Confirm both conditions against the amended Section 46.
There is no statutory paternity leave in the Act. Many employers provide it by policy.
Export processing zones are different
Workers in export processing zones are covered by the Bangladesh EPZ Labour Act, 2019, which was not amended in parallel with the 2026 reforms. EPZ employers should check their own framework.
What HR and payroll should do now
1. Update leave rules in the system, not just in the handbook: 13 festival days and 120 days’ maternity with the 60/60 split.
2. Check the accrual basis for annual leave by establishment type, and track days actually worked.
3. Configure carry-forward rules separately for each leave type, as casual and sick leave lapse while annual leave accumulates.
4. Pay out un-availed leave correctly at separation, as part of final settlement.
5. Keep records in the prescribed leave register; inspectors and buyers’ auditors ask for them.
Where systems help
Leave rules are only reliable when they are configured once and applied to everyone. MiHCM Enterprise, supported locally by MiHCM in Bangladesh, applies statutory leave rules by establishment type, tracks accruals and balances, and links leave directly to payroll.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days of annual leave do workers get in Bangladesh?
After one year of continuous service, most workers earn one day of annual leave for every 18 days worked in the previous 12 months. Tea plantation workers earn one day per 22 days, and newspaper workers one day per 11 days.
How much casual and sick leave is there in Bangladesh?
Workers are entitled to 10 days of casual leave and 14 days of sick leave a year, both with full wages.
How many festival holidays are there in Bangladesh?
13 days a year with wages, following the 2026 amendment to the Bangladesh Labour Act. It was previously 11.
How long is maternity leave in Bangladesh?
120 days, structured as 60 days before and 60 days after delivery, following the 2026 reforms.
Is there paternity leave in Bangladesh?
The Bangladesh Labour Act does not provide statutory paternity leave. Many employers offer it as a policy benefit.
Sources
• Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 (consolidated text, FAOLEX)
• Jural Acuity, Compliance under the Labour Act 2006 – Sections 115 to 117
• Worksuite, Labour Act, Section 117 (Annual Vacation and Holidays)
• MiHCM, The Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2026: What changed and what HR must do now – festival holidays and maternity benefit
