321 publishers threaten to skip Ekushey Book Fair

A total of 321 publishers have announced that they will not take part in the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, scheduled to begin on 20 February.

Citing fears of a lack of readers, humanitarian concerns and financial risks, the publishers said participation under the current circumstances would not be feasible.

In a joint statement, the publishers said that holding the book fair in February, amid the post-2026 national parliamentary election situation and the month of Ramadan, would expose them to “serious business and humanitarian risks”.

However, they expressed willingness to participate “spontaneously” if the book fair is organised after Eid-ul-Fitr. They also said they would extend “full cooperation” to the authorities to ensure the success of the fair if it is rescheduled.

The 321 creative publishers who signed the statement said the Bangla Academy’s announcement to hold the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 from 20 February is “detached from reality, self-destructive and likely to push the publishing industry into severe uncertainty”.

Earlier, on 2 February, the publishers submitted a memorandum to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, demanding that the book fair be postponed. They also organised a symbolic book fair on 1 February in protest against the event not being rescheduled.