Amar Ekushey Book Fair starts Feb 20

Staff Reporter :

The Bangla Academy has announced that the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026, the country’s largest annual literary gathering, will begin on February 20 and run through March 15, marking a slight shift in the traditional schedule of the event closely tied to the February language movement commemorations.

According to a press release issued on Wednesday, the decision was taken at an emergency meeting held on December 17 at the Shaheed Munir Chowdhury Conference Room of the Bangla Academy. The inaugural ceremony of the fair will be held at 11 a.m. on the opening day.

The meeting was chaired by the Bangla Academy Director General, Professor Mohammad Azam, and was attended by the Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Md Mofidur Rahman.

Also present were academy directors, Dhaka University Proctor Professor Saifuddin Ahmed, representatives of publishing houses, and officials from various law enforcement agencies.

Officials said the revised dates were finalised after consultations with key stakeholders, including publishers and security authorities, to ensure smoother management and adequate preparations for the month-long event.

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair is traditionally organised by the Bangla Academy to honour the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement and serves as a major platform for writers, readers and publishers from across the country.

Further details regarding stall allocation, security arrangements and cultural programmes are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.