Amar Ekushey Book Fair begins today

Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela (book fair) 2026 begins today, Thursday, under the theme ‘Bahumatrik Bangladesh’ (Multidimensional Bangladesh).

Prime minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the fair at 2:00 pm. During the inauguration ceremony, he will present the Bangla Academy Literary Award 2025.

The fair will run daily from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm, except on holidays, until 15 March. After 8:30 pm, no one will be allowed to enter the fairgrounds. On holidays, the fair will operate from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Although the fair usually begins on 1 February each year, this year it has been delayed due to the parliamentary elections. Previously, the Bangla Academy was unable to hold the fair in February 2021 and 2022 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Publishers were initially hesitant to participate in the fair due to concerns over business losses amid the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. At the last moment, with full waivers of stall fees and the acceptance of three other demands, publishing houses are participating.

This year, 549 publishing houses are taking part in the fair. Of these, 81 have stalls in the Bangla Academy premises and 468 in the Suhrawardy Udyan area, making a total of 1,018 units.

Near the open stage in Suhrawardy Udyan, a Little Magazine Square has been arranged under the trees, where 87 little magazines have been allocated stalls.

The organisers have decided to make this year’s Amar Ekushey Book Fair environmentally conscious and a ‘zero waste book fair’. To this end, the fair will be free of polythene and smoking.

Syed Zakir Hossain, publisher of Adorn Publications, told Prothom Alo, ‘The fair is starting at last, and we are able to do it togethe; that is the big achievement. We hope that despite many constraints, readers will come and make our book fair successful.’

Regarding concerns over financial losses, he added, ‘Rather than not holding the fair, continuing it is in itself a success for us.’

At Amar Ekushey Book Fair, the children’s section will include 63 organisations and 107 units. Every Friday and Saturday, the fair will hold ‘Shishu Prahar’ (children’s hour) from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Every day during the fair, thematic seminars will take place on the main stage from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, followed by cultural programmes from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

As part of the Amar Ekushey celebrations, competitions in children’s drawing, recitation, and music will be organised. Suhrawardy Udyan will also host new book cover unveiling ceremonies.

Sufficient archways have been arranged at the entrances and exits of the fair. For comprehensive security, the area is equipped with adequate closed-circuit cameras, and overall security will be managed by Bangladesh police, RAB, Ansar, and various intelligence agencies.