Publishers want Book Fair to be held after Eid-ul-Fitr

Publishers across Bangladesh have demanded that this year’s Amar Ekushey Book Fair be held after Eid-ul-Fitr, placing four key demands at a press conference on Monday.

The event was held at the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club in Dhaka.

At the press conference, publishers said the call to postpone the book fair reflects the position of the overwhelming majority of the country’s publishing houses.

Earlier, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Bangla Academy had announced that Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 would begin on 20 February.

Objecting to that decision, publishers urged the authorities to reschedule the fair to a date after Eid-ul-Fitr.

They warned that holding the fair during Ramadan would pose serious business risks. According to them, 31 publishers will boycott the fair if it is held in February, while 152 publishers are completely unwilling to participate.

Speaking at the press conference, Mahrukh Mahiuddin, managing director of The University Press Limited (UPL), said the government must announce—by 9 February—that the fair will be held after Eid, respecting the demands of the Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association (BAPUS) and the majority of publishers.

Publishers also demanded a waiver of stall rental fees and asked the government to build the entire stall infrastructure at state expense, citing the fragile financial condition of the industry.

To encourage students to buy books, they proposed the introduction of a special “book allowance” or incentive scheme, similar to the Pahela Baishakh incentives, and called for reforms to the government’s book procurement policy in line with international standards.

“Saving the culture of reading requires saving publishers,” Mahiuddin said. “If the book fair starts during Ramadan, it will be impossible for publishers to participate.”

He added that publishers want to take part in the fair but do not want to be destroyed by bearing losses.

Publishers warned that holding the fair in February would expose them to a threefold crisis: economic and commercial challenges, logistical and election-related complications, and humanitarian and religious considerations.

The press conference was moderated by Mahbub Rahman, proprietor of Adarsha Prakashan. Mazharul Islam, chief executive of Anyaprokash, said they had contacted the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Bangla Academy to discuss the situation but received no positive response.

“The government has decided to hold the fair during Ramadan,” Mazharul said. “During this time, it will be difficult to attract buyers. People will be busy with Eid shopping, traveling to visit relatives, and educational institutions will be closed. As a result, there will be very few visitors to the book fair.”

Monirul Haque, proprietor of Anannya Prokashan, said, “We want the fair. But considering the realities on the ground, we are asking for the dates to be postponed.”

Others present at the press conference included Mobarak Hossain, manuscript coordinator of Prothoma Prokashan; Nasir Ahmed, proprietor of Kakoli Prokashan; Gofur Hossain of Hridom Prokashana; and Alamgir Shikdar, former president of Bangladesh Publishers and Booksellers Association (BAPUS).

At the end of the event, the organizers announced that they would submit a memorandum to the chief adviser on behalf of publishers from all sectors, reiterating their demands.