Most of the schools, colleges and universities including Dhaka University in the city will remain close till November 14. Most of the government offices, banks, insurance companies and business centres will not operate in full swing until November 15.

The government declared November 3 to 5 as public holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr, November 7 as a holiday for the National Revolution and Solidarity Day, November 11 and 12 as weekly holidays and November 12 and 13 as the schedule for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit.

Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Friday or Saturday depending on the sighting of the Shawal moon (the first moon after Ramadan). November 6 will be a holiday if Eid-ul-fitr is celebrated on Saturday. In that case only three days from November 8 to 10 will be open between the two stints of vacations.

A large number of government and non-government employees have already taken three to five days leave especially for November 8 to 10 or for November 6 to 10.

Most of the students and unemployed women who are leaving town for vacations will not come back to the city before mid November as almost all of the schools, colleges and universities have extended their vacations till November 14 due to Saarc Summit. Dhaka University have added seven more days from November 8 to 14 to its vacation and postponed all scheduled examinations during the period. Dhaka Notre Dame College, Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, and Holy Cross School and College extended their holidays till November 14.

"I will stay at our village home with my siblings and my mother at Matlab in Chandpur till November 14 and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with my kith and kin," said Kaniz Farzana Onna, a student of class nine of Kishalay Girl's School and College at Mohammadpur, as she was preparing to leave Dhaka with her parents at Sadarghat Launch Terminal yesterday. She also said her father will however have to return to the city alone after Eid.

Businessmen said the long vacation will have a negative impact on the country's economy and they expect that their business will not run on top gear until November 15.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to close down Karwan Bazar, the capital's largest wholesale kitchen market, for four days from November 10 to 13 as part of the security measure for Saarc summit.

It has also tightened security at all entry points to the capital ahead of the summit, which will certainly add to the slow down of the capital.

Some however, welcome the change of scene in Dhaka as traffic jam will vanish for a couple of weeks and one may move from one place to another with relative ease even if for a short period of time.

Every year about five million people depart the capital to celebrate Eid with their families at their village homes.