Ekushey Book Fair to begin 17 Dec as election, Ramadan fall in February

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair will be held earlier this year, starting on 17 December, due to the upcoming 13th parliamentary election and the holy Ramadan in February.

Although the fair usually begins on the first day of February, its organiser Bangla Academy announced in a press release on Thursday that this year the fair will run from 17 December to 17 January.

A decision was taken at a meeting held on Thursday afternoon at Bangla Academy’s Shahid Munier Chowdhury Auditorium to finalise the dates for the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026.

Presided over by Md Mofidur Rahman, Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Professor Mohammad Azam, Director General of Bangla Academy, along with the Academy’s secretaries and directors were present at the meeting.

Representatives of the Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association also attended.

The press release said that the decision was made in view of the upcoming national elections and Ramadan.

Previously, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the book fair was delayed and held in March in 2021 and 2022. The fair had also been canceled once in 1983 during HM Ershad’s rule due to anti-autocracy movements.

With this December schedule, the book fair will be held twice in the same year.