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Published : 14 Feb 2026, 06:34 PM
Publishers have called for the Amar Ekushey Book Fair to be postponed until after Eid-ul-Fitr instead of beginning on Feb 20 as scheduled by the Bangla Academy.
Publishers’ Unity has written to BNP chief Tarique Rahman, seeking his intervention to delay the fair.
In the letter, the publishers said such a move would “save the publishing industry and uphold the heritage of the Ekushey Book Fair”.
They urged him to take steps to organise a “complete and vibrant” fair after Eid-ul-Fitr, ensuring the participation of all publishers.
“This decision will not only save thousands of publishers from bankruptcy but will also prove how much the new government cares about knowledge, creativity, and public opinion,” the letter added.
Owners of 14 publishing houses signed the letter.
The publishers outlined a set of challenges faced by them over the past one and a half years, including political and economic instabilities.
Publication of election materials also kept printing presses occupied for a while, preventing the release of creative books and literature.
“Publishers today are at a loss due to the skyrocketing prices of paper and other associated crises," the publishers said in the letter.
"In such a reality, the outgoing administration and the Bangla Academy authorities remain firm about organising the 'Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026' during the month of Ramadan, starting from the 20th of February."
The publishers believe the fair will be lifeless and devoid of readers if it follows the current schedule, as it coincides with the month of Ramadan when schools and colleges will be closed, limiting student turnout.
They argue that participating in the fair under these circumstances would be akin to "commercial suicide".
In this situation, the Publishers' Unity questions whose interests are being served by such haste to organise the fair, and whether there is any "political motive" behind it.
"We do not want to boycott the fair; we want a 'successful and inclusive' one. We demanded to postpone the fair until after Eid-ul-Fitr, considering the month of Ramadan and the post-election situation," the publishers said.
“This is a time when readers would have both the time and the resources. Yet, it is deeply regrettable that our logical demands are being ignored, and publishers are being forced into a failed fair.
“In this current arrangement, more than 300 mainstream publishers, including almost all of the country's leading ones, are unable to participate,” the letter read.
"You are about to assume the responsibility of governing the country by forming the new government. At the start of a new administration’s journey, we do not want this fair -- which carries the spirit of Ekushey -- to be a failure or mired in controversy.
“We believe that a single well-considered directive from you can save this industry from destruction."
