Publishers’ Unity pulls boycott of Ekushey Book Fair

They urge the government to increase its book procurement budget

After days of tension over stall allocations and scheduling, Publishers’ Unity has reversed its decision to boycott the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, allowing hundreds of publishers to join the event set to begin on Feb 26.

The announcement came in a press conference at the National Press Club on Monday, ending a spell of uncertainty.

The publishers’ platform had previously declared it "impossible" to participate, citing a lack of transparency in stall and pavilion allocations and severe time constraints.

The deadlock, however, was broken on Sunday night following an emergency meeting between the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Bangla Academy, and publisher representatives.

The Bangla Academy, in a statement following the meeting, confirmed that publishers who had originally been granted large pavilions agreed to vacate those spaces to ensure a more equitable distribution of stalls.

"Our stance was never against the fair, the readers, or the authorities," said University Press Limited Managing Director Mahrukh Mohiuddin.

"Our unity was based on the demand for 100 percent fairness, the dignity of the creative publishing industry, and the elimination of structural discrimination on the fairgrounds," he said.

Following the Bangla Academy’s decision to eliminate pavilions entirely this year to ensure "equal rights" for all participants, a lottery for stall distribution was held at 10pm on Sunday.

With the dispute resolved, many publishers began sharing the news on social media late Sunday night, and construction of stalls commenced at the Suhrawardy Udyan on Monday morning.

The unity urged the government to increase its book procurement budget, which has remained stagnant for years.

The 2026 edition of the fair has faced unprecedented scheduling challenges due to the parliamentary polls held on Feb 12.

The fair usually lasts through the month of February.

The Bangla Academy had initially sought to hold the fair in December last year to enable holding the general election. But the date was moved to February following protests.

The fair is finally beginning on Feb 26 and will continue until Mar 15.