The government and private offices resumed business in the city yesterday after a long nine-day holiday, including a four-day Eid vacation.

Government offices virtually went on holiday on December 22 when most of the city dwellers started leaving the city to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones in outlying villages and towns. Although newspaper offices were scheduled to have a three-day Eid vacation, the holiday was extended by one more day due to uncertainty over sighting of the moon.

The capital city still looked deserted as most shops and business centres kept their shutters down.

The notorious city traffic was less chaotic in the last few days. Number of pedestrians, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, minibuses and other modes of vehicles were less than normal in the city yesterday. The usually crammed buses had plenty of

seats for passengers.

Attendance was very thin yesterday at the Secretariat, the headquarters of all ministries and offices of the Republic although most top-ranking officials were present.

Attendance in other government offices was thin. Sources said only a few staffers turned up and stayed in their offices for some hours. They were busy exchanging Eid greetings and embracing each other. They also talked about their new dresses and how they celebrated the Eid.

Secretariat sources said there was virtually no work in the offices. A good number of officers and employees are on additional leave to spend more time with near ones at their village homes "as they find the nine-day holiday not enough."

Although all insurance companies, semi-government offices, autonomous bodies, multinational companies and business offices in Motijheel commercial area, business hub of the city, remained open to business yesterday the staff were too inadequate to go about business as usual.

With a thinner traffic since Tuesday, the city dwellers continued to have some relief from the hustle and bustle that they are usually subjected to. They seemed to be more than happy with the present look of the capital as they could move without hazards and breath better in the absence of traffic jam and air pollution.

Though movement of rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and minibuses increased yesterday, the number of passengers were less than normal. Rickshawpullers and autorickshaw drivers charged more than usual in an attempt to compensate for dull business.

Most of the shopping malls and markets, barring those of essentials, kept their shutters down.

Meanwhile, the holidaymakers have started returning to the capital. Officials and employees, who work in government and private offices, were seen coming back to the city by train, bus and launch at Gabtali, Mohakhali, Syedabad, Kamlapur, Sadarghat and other places in the city.