Bangla Academy, publishers at loggerheads over schedule

The Bangla Academy and leading publishers are at odds over whether this year’s Amar Ekushey Book Fair should be held before Eid-ul-Fitr or postponed until after the holiday, as the country’s largest book festival missed its usual schedule amid security concerns during preparations for the 13th parliamentary election.
Prokashok Oikko, a platform of more than 300 publishers, on Saturday wrote an open letter to BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman seeking his intervention to hold the fair after Eid instead of from 20 February.
The publishers argued that staging the event during Ramadan would be commercially damaging and cited the closure of 
educational institutions, limited availability of printing presses in recent months and added financial pressure on readers ahead of Eid. 
The Bangla Academy, however, said the fair would go ahead as previously announced. On the same day, it allocated 662 stalls to around 320 publishing houses, 133 more than in 2025. Of these, 24 were allotted to new publishers. The number of pavilions stands at 23, including 11 for established houses and 12 for new companies.
The Academy also extended the deadline for payment of allocation fees from 9 February to 11 February.
Bangla Academy Director General Prof Mohammad Azam told the Daily Sun that the schedule had been set after discussions with publishers. 
He further said that several of those now protesting had been members of the organising committee and had earlier agreed to participate.
He rejected calls to hold the fair in April and said the weather would discourage visitors, and preparations had been completed in coordination with the current government.

He added that organisers were now awaiting the final decision of the new government.
Prof Azam said the academy had previously proposed holding the fair in December which publishers also rejected and questioned whether postponement would guarantee agreement later. 
Publishers have strongly denied the academy’s claim of broad consultation, alleging that only selective representatives were involved.
Syed Zakir Hossain, publisher and chief executive officer of Adorn Publication, said many established publishing houses were ignored so the Academy could proceed with a prefixed schedule.
He said publishers had conveyed their concerns to the authorities, held a press conference and submitted a memorandum to the cultural affairs adviser on 27 January.
Their demands included holding the fair after Eid-ul-Fitr, waiving stall and pavilion rental fees, introducing government incentives or vouchers for students and public officials to buy books, and reforming government book procurement policy to ensure the purchase of at least 300 copies of every quality book, he added. 
Syed Zakir Hossain said publishers had assessed that losses from participating under the current schedule would exceed the losses of not taking part. He also alleged irregularities in stall allocation, claiming stalls were given to publishers with limited experience in creative publishing.
With both sides holding firm, the final decision on the fair’s schedule is now expected from the new government.

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