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Published : 02 Feb 2026, 02:47 PM
Bangla Academy President Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq has voiced regret over the Ekushey Book Fair not starting on the first day of the month of the Language Movement this year.
He inaugurated a one-day “symbolic book fair” at Nazrul Mancha on the Bangla Academy premises on Sunday, organised by the “Ekushey Boimela Sangram Parishad” to protest the official fair not opening on Feb 1, its traditional starting date.
Speaking at the programme, Huq said the fair’s schedule had been revised after taking into consideration the elections, Ramadan, and other practical constraints.
While the decision was taken in view of reality, he said, the absence of the book fair on the first day of February remained a source of “disappointment”.
According to an organiser’s media statement, Huq and Dipta Dutta, a leader and organiser of the 1969 Mass Upsurge, jointly inaugurated the event.
Huq remarked that the book fair is far more than a commercial venture; it serves as a symbol of the nation’s pursuit of knowledge, intellectual growth, and emotional ties.
He observed that the fair is no longer restricted to poetry or novels, as a vast number of books on philosophy, science, history, politics, economics, and sociology are being published, signalling “clear intellectual progress” for Bangladesh.
At the closing ceremony of the symbolic fair, Anu Muhammad, editor of “Sarbojonkotha”, criticised the delay.
He argued that it was hard to believe the fair could not proceed when everything else in the country is to continue as normal.
He claimed that by failing to uphold the tradition of starting the fair at the beginning of the language month, both Bangla Academy and the cultural affairs ministry had brought a permanent stain upon their reputations.
At least 46 organisations participated in the iconic fair, including Anyaprokash, Kakoli Prokashani, Adorn Publication, Jagrity, and Anupam Prokashani.
The day featured songs of the 21st, poetry recitations, speeches, and plays, with cultural groups such as Udichi and Bibartan taking part.
The book fair usually begins on Feb 1, but the general election has disrupted the routine this year.
Bangla Academy has now scheduled the fair to start on Feb 20. So far, 856 units have been allotted to 554 institutions.
Participating publishers must settle their stall rents by Feb 9.
The fair will occupy its usual venues at the Bangla Academy premises and Suhrawardy Udyan.
Stall rent has been reduced by 25 percent following demands from publishers, and the number of participating institutions may rise further, according to sources on the fair’s management committee.
OVER 500 STALLS ALLOCATED
On Sunday, construction work on stalls was visibly under way at the Bangla Academy grounds, with bamboo frames already in place.
Officials were busy overseeing stall layouts and allocations.
According to the Ekushey Book Fair management committee, 91 units have been allocated to 57 institutions on the academy premises, including one pavilion.
At Suhrawardy Udyan, 765 units have been allocated to 497 institutions, including 36 pavilions.
In total, 37 pavilions have been allotted across both venues.
Selim Reza, member secretary of the committee, said the list was preliminary and that more applications were still under review, with details to be shared once finalised.
Some publishers have formally requested that the fair be held after Ramadan.
Fair officials, however, said the possibility of shifting it to after Eid-ul-Fitr remained very limited, as more than 30 percent of preparations had already been completed.
Several Bangla Academy officials said the institution had favoured holding the fair from Feb 1, but publishers’ demands had earlier led to a plan to move it to December. That plan later faced objections from the Ministry of Home Affairs, leaving the fair uncertain.
They said the decision to begin the fair on Feb 20 had at least removed that uncertainty, allowing it to be held this year with the spirit of Feb 21 at its core.
