The Ministry of Public Administration has issued a notification clarifying that the public holiday announced for Chaitra Sankranti on April 13 will apply only to the three hill districts -- Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban.

For relevant communities in other parts of the country, the holiday will be considered optional.

The clarification came in a notification issued Sunday, signed by Farida Yesmin, deputy secretary of the Rule-4 branch of the ministry.

It stated that individuals from the relevant communities living outside the three hill districts may avail an optional holiday on the occasion.

A responsible officer from the ministry told The Daily Star that many government employees had applied for leave assuming Chaitra Sankranti was a nationwide public holiday, for which, the government issued the clarification to avoid confusion.