Ekushey Book Fair Postponed Again

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair, the biggest book festival in the country, will not be held in February this year amid the coronavirus situation in the country.

Bangla Academy Director General Habibullah Shirajee said, ''We have postponed the book fair for the time being. We will observe the situation, discuss the matter with publishers, and make a fresh schedule once the situation improves.''

Earlier, the academy requested the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to suspend the book fair considering the coronavirus situation. In reply, the ministry told them to arrange the book fair virtually.

However, two leading publishers' associations of the country – Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers’ Association and Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh – turned down the proposal and demanded to arrange the book fair like the previous year. Later, they proposed to arrange the fair from February 18 to March 17 this year.

The Bangla Academy and the publishers also sent a formal proposal to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs for allowing them to organize the book fair following this schedule but the ministry rejected the proposal saying that the overall situation of the Covid-19 pandemic is not suitable for arranging the book fair.