Ekushey Book Fair to begin on 20 Feb: Bangla Academy reaffirms

Bangla Academy on Thursday reiterated that the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 will begin on 20 February, ruling out the possibility of postponing the country’s largest literary event.

The decision was announced at an emergency press conference organised by the Bangla Academy.

Member Secretary of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 Organising Committee Selim Reza said the Academy had taken note of differing opinions and proposals regarding the fair’s schedule, including requests from a section of publishers to hold the fair after Eid.

“By the time such requests were made, nearly 60% of the preparations had already been completed,” he said.

Selim explained that organising a month-long book fair after Eid would push the schedule into April, a period marked by extreme heat, dust, frequent storms and the risk of Kalbaishakhi nor’westers and rainfall.

“Considering these realities, hosting the book fair in April is not practical.”

He said unavoidable circumstances had made it impossible to inaugurate the fair on 1 February this year, as done traditionally.

As a result, the fair will commence on 20 February, following a unanimous decision by the organising committee, which has already held several meetings.

In response to publishers’ demands, the Academy has reduced stall rents by 25% compared to last year, despite a significant rise in overall organisational costs, Selim noted.

He said all major preparations for the fair have been completed as planned.

An event management firm has been appointed, he said, adding, Suhrawardy Udyan has been allocated by the government, stall construction is underway, and the schedules for discussions and cultural programmes have been finalised. Invitations have also been sent to prospective speakers and contributors.

According to Selim, a total of 580 institutions applied for stalls this year, including 527 publishers who participated last year and 53 new applicants.

Due to space constraints, he said, stalls have so far been allocated to all 527 returning publishers and 24 new ones.

Besides, 56 institutions have applied for larger stalls compared to last year, while more than a hundred government and private organisations have also sought stall allocation for the fair.

The fair will remain open daily from 2:00pm to 9:00pm.

As the book fair will be held during Ramadan, the Bangla Academy said special arrangements will be in place at the fair venue for iftar facilities for visitors and participants.

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair is regarded as a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s literary and cultural calendar, commemorating the Language Movement and celebrating the country’s publishing industry.