Bangla Academy has postponed its earlier decision to hold the “Amar Ekushey Boi Mela” in December this year.
Earlier, the academy fixed December instead of February to hold the book fair, citing the upcoming national election and the month of Ramadan.
“No new date for holding the book fair has been finalised yet,” the academy said in a press release issued on Sunday.
On 18 September, following a date-fixing meeting at the Bangla Academy, it was announced that the book fair would begin on 17 December 2025 and continue until 17 January 2026.
It also said the decision to advance the fair from February was made due to the national election scheduled for that month.
The announcement, however, sparked widespread debate. Critics argued that February—the month of the language movement—holds special significance for the book fair, which has traditionally been held during that period.
Writers, publishers, and readers also expressed concerns about preparation challenges if the fair were to be held in December.
In its latest press note, Bangla Academy said: “Based on the opinions of BAPUS and other stakeholders, the previously announced dates for the 2026 book fair have been postponed. A new date will be finalised later in consultation with publishers and other participants.”
