Bangla Academy goes ahead with Ekushey Book Fair amid Ramadan boycott threat

Bangladesh's premier literary event, Ekushey Book Fair, is set to open later this month amid mounting opposition from a large section of mainstream publishers who warn that holding the fair during Ramadan could inflict heavy financial losses on the industry.

Bangla Academy has confirmed that the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 will begin on 20 February, even as more than 300 publishers have threatened to boycott the event if the schedule is not reconsidered.

Dr Md Selim Reza, member secretary of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 Organising Committee, told UNB that preparations are already well underway.

"The lottery for allocation of stalls and pavilions was completed on Tuesday night. Allocation has already been finalised. Now publishers can start organising their allotted spaces," he said.

To facilitate confirmation of stall and pavilion allotments, Bangla Academy earlier extended the payment deadline from 9 February to 11 February.

According to organisers, a total of 662 stalls have been allotted this year, 133 more than in 2025.

Of these, 24 new publishing houses have been allocated stalls. The number of pavilions stands at 23, including 11 for established publishing houses and 12 for new ones.

Boycott Threat

However, the decision to hold the 23-day fair from 20 February -- during the fasting month of Ramadan — has triggered strong objections from publishers.

In a press release signed by Mazharul Islam of Anyaprokash, a group of publishers said at least 321 publishing houses had demanded that the fair be held after Ramadan and would stay away if the schedule remained unchanged.

Several publishers said they had raised concerns well in advance but received no positive response from the authorities.

They argue that Ramadan typically brings shorter working hours and reduced consumer spending during daytime, which could significantly affect book sales. Many fear that participating under such conditions would result in substantial losses.

Appeal to Tarique Rahman

In a further escalation, the publishers' platform Prokashok Oikko (Publishers' Unity) has sent an open letter to Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh, seeking intervention.

In the letter, the platform said nearly 90% of publishers believe that taking part in the fair during Ramadan would amount to 'commercial suicide'. It claimed that more than 300 mainstream publishers have already expressed their inability to participate.

The publishers said the industry has been under severe strain for the past one and a half years due to political and economic instability. Rising paper prices and increased production costs have intensified financial pressure, they said.

They also noted that printing presses had remained largely preoccupied with election-related work over the past two months, effectively halting the publication of new titles.

Against this backdrop, the publishers questioned why Bangla Academy remains firm on holding the fair despite repeated appeals for reconsideration.

Call for Postponement

The publishers stressed that they are not opposed to the book fair itself. Instead, they said they want a 'successful and inclusive' event that upholds the spirit and tradition of Amar Ekushey.

Considering Ramadan and the post-election situation, they proposed holding the fair after Eid.

In their letter, they placed two key demands before the new government led by Tarique Rahman: first, postponement of the fair scheduled to begin on 20 February; and second, organising the event in a festive and full-fledged manner after Eid.

They expressed hope that a positive decision would protect the publishing industry from major losses and help preserve the legacy of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair -- a cultural fixture that commemorates the Language Movement and remains one of the country's most anticipated literary gatherings.

For now, however, the fair appears set to go ahead as planned, setting the stage for a confrontation between organisers determined to maintain tradition and publishers wary of the economic realities they face.