As things stand, the event will go ahead commencing 25th February, but how many publishers – let alone public visitors intent on buying books – will make the effort remains to be seen.
The Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 has just been postponed yet again, by five days this time, and will now commence on 25 February, running until 15 March, following an emergency meeting at Bangla Academy on 19 February.
The Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury announced a complete waiver of stall rents for all participating publishing houses, a significant concession aimed at ensuring industry participation.
Ramadan Scheduling Conflict Resolved
The rescheduling addresses persistent concerns from publishers regarding the overlap with Ramadan, which began on 19 February. The Bangladesh Publishers & Booksellers Association (BAPUS) and the “Prakashak Oikya” coalition had previously threatened to boycott the fair if held during the holy month, citing reduced footfall and operational difficulties.
The original February start date itself was a compromise after a proposed December 2025 schedule was abandoned due to national elections.
The View From The Beach
The Amar Ekushey Book Fair traditionally opens on 1 February, making this year’s scheduling exceptional. The government’s decision to waive stall fees entirely – rather than the initially proposed 55% reduction – reflects the sector’s financial fragility and the political sensitivity surrounding the event.
Publishers retain discretion regarding participation, with some indicating conditional involvement based on individual financial capacity.
Bottom line: This is an unmitigated disaster for Bangladeshi publishing. I won’t attempt to apportion blame from afar, but will say one of the world’s great public-facing book fairs has been brought to its knees.
As things stand, the event will go ahead commencing 25th February, but how many publishers – let alone public visitors intent on buying books – will make the effort remains to be seen.
With Ramadan fasting in full swing, and expenditure being redirected for the Holy Month, there is little chance booksellers and publishers will see much action from what in better times accounts for much of the industry’s revenues.
First halving, then completely waiving stall fees suggests the mood is bitter and the organisers are desperate to salvage something from this mess.
In return it will likely be desperation that forces at least some sellers and publishers to make the effort at all.
Consumer confidence in the event must also be at an all-time low.
This is the kind of disruption we expect in conflict and natural disaster zones. Bangladesh has had its share of both, these past few years, but the disruption to the Boi Mela was wholly avoidable.
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.
