The month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair, organised by Bangla Academy in memory of the Language Movement martyrs, is regarded as one of the most significant cultural events in Bangladesh.
This year, however, after many complications and controversies, the fair will begin on February 25 instead of the traditional February 1 opening and will continue until March 15.
In a major decision, stall rent for participating publishing houses has been fully waived. The decision was made at a meeting held on Wednesday evening at the Shaheed Munier Chowdhury Auditorium of the Bangla Academy. Earlier, the academy had announced that the fair would begin on February 20.
The meeting was chaired by the newly appointed Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury. State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam, Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Mofidur Rahman and publisher representatives were present.
According to a press release, Director General Professor Mohammad Azam briefed the meeting on the latest situation. Following demands from different segments of publishers, the authorities decided to defer the fair and waive stall fees entirely.
Publishers who did not apply till that time for stalls were asked to submit applications by 3 pm on Thursday, with allocations completed by 6 pm.
Dr Azam mentioned that as the fair will be held throughout the month of Ramadan, arrangements have been made at the fairgrounds for offering Tarawih prayers, and food stalls have been organised to facilitate Iftar.
He added that an adequate supply of water will also be ensured at the venue. These measures were adopted in consultation with representatives of the publishers.
A section of publishers had long demanded that the fair be held after Eid due to Ramadan, stating that otherwise, participation would not be possible. They also sought the intervention of BNP Chairperson and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Earlier, on February 5, Member Secretary of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 Management Committee Dr Md Selim Reza announced that the fair would begin on February 20.
In his written statement, he said the fair is an inseparable part of national cultural heritage, but practical constraints prevented a February 1 opening this year.
He added that preparations were nearly complete, including allocation of Suhrawardy Udyan, ongoing stall construction and finalisation of discussion and cultural programmes.
Of 527 previous participants and 53 new applicants, 527 former institutions and 24 new ones received stalls due to space limitations. He noted that with 60 percent of work completed, postponement to April was impractical due to extreme heat, dust storms and possible heavy rainfall.
In a February 14 letter to the newly sworn Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, a platform titled Publishers Unity cited prolonged political and economic instability, high paper prices and election-related disruptions in printing presses.
They argued that holding the fair during Ramadan, when educational institutions remain closed, would result in low attendance and severe financial losses for publishers. They urged suspension of the February 20 schedule and the arrangement of a full-scale fair after Eid.
Despite earlier objections, many publishers have revised their stance after the new schedule. Singer-publisher Joy Shahriar of Aajob Prokash told The Daily Times of Bangladesh that his organisation will now participate.
Although February 1 has become a convention, it has not been immutable. In 2021, the fair began on March 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022, it started on February 15.
The fair began informally in 1972 on the Bangla Academy premises and the academy formally took responsibility in 1978, naming it Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela, with guidelines introduced in 1984.
Bangla Academy is expected to hold its customary pre-fair press conference later this week to announce the final arrangements.
