Book fair will go global next year, PM hopes

Bangla Academy awards, Ekushey Padak distributed

FE Team | Published: February 26, 2026 23:52:47

Amid the grandeur of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair's inauguration, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for a bold step: transforming the annual celebration of Bengali literature into an international literary festival, showcasing Bangladesh's language and culture to the world, reports bdnews24.com.
He spoke at the opening of the fair at the Bangla Academy on Thursday.
"In honour of the martyrs of the Language Movement, we celebrate Ekushey each year with pride to uphold the dignity of our mother tongue.
"Today, Amar Ekushey is observed worldwide as International Mother Language Day. This venue, the Bangla Academy, embodies the aspirations of the 1952 Language Movement martyrs."
He added, "One of the academy's key creative initiatives is the Amar Ekushey Book Fair. Considering the passage of time, I request all to reflect on whether it could be organised as an international book fair in the coming years."
The prime minister emphasised that internationalisation would not only introduce readers to world literature but also foster awareness and appreciation of multiple languages and cultures.
"In today's global village, exposure beyond one's mother tongue is essential.
"In a competitive world, establishing a knowledge-, skill-, and talent-based society is crucial for prosperity and respect. We must enrich ourselves in knowledge, science, technology, and skills," he said.
He added, "We feel it is necessary to start efforts to secure recognition of Bengali as an official language of the United Nations."
BSS adds: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today distributed the Bangla Academy Literary Award-2025 to eight distinguished personalities for their significant contributions to the fields of Bangla literature.
The premier handed over the award to the eight recipients at the inaugural
ceremony of Amar Ekushey Book Fair at the Bangla Academy premises here this afternoon.
The awardees of the Bangla Academy Literary Award-2025 are: Nasima Anis in fiction, Syed Azizul Haque in essays, Hasan Hafiz in children's literature, Ali Ahmad in translation, Mustafa Majid and Israel Khan in research, Farsim Mannan Mohammadi in science and Moidul Hasan in Liberation War.
Later, the Prime Minister took part in a photo session with the awardees.
The names of the awardees were finalized following recommendations by the Bangla Academy Literary Award-2025 Proposal Committee and in accordance with the decision of the Bangla Academy Literary Award Committee.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman later distributed "Ekushey Padak-2026" among nine individuals and one music band in recognition of their outstanding contributions to various fields.
The premier handed over the Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian award of the country, at a ceremony at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium on the occasion of the Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language Day.
The award recipients are: Farida Akhtar Babita (Film), Professor Md Abdus Sattar (Fine Arts), Marina Tabassum (Architecture), Ayub Bachchu (Music) (Posthumous), Arthy Ahmed (Dance), Islam Uddin Palakar (Palagan), Shafik Rehman (Journalism), Professor Dr Mahbubul Alam Majumdar (Education), Tejosh Haldar Josh (Sculpture), and Warfaze (Music Band).
On behalf of Ayub Bachchu, his wife Ferdous Akhter Chandana and on behalf of Warfaze, its team leader Sheikh Monirul Alam received the award from the Prime Minister.