Employers say the garment industry might suffer

The cabinet said government offices will close on Fridays and Saturdays but the working day will be an hour longer.

Government officials say the country's fragile economy is under pressure because of soaring global oil prices and a shortfall in crop production.

Private businesses in the country of 140 million people will continue to work a six-day week.

'Growth threatened'

The decision to introduce the two-day weekend was taken at a cabinet meeting on Monday, chaired by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

"Introducing a five-day work week will reduce use of transport by both public and private sectors, thus saving costly fuel and easing pressure on foreign exchange required to import oil," one energy official was quoted saying by Reuters news agency.

Economist Abul Barakat told the AFP news agency that the government could save nearly $12m a year in fuel costs alone by introducing the five-day working week.

But garment manufacturers, Bangladesh's biggest private sector employers, oppose the shorter week.

"It comes at a time when we are witnessing growth in the garment sector. A country like Bangladesh cannot afford this luxury," the president of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Anisul Haq, told AFP.