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 have warned that holding the fair during the fasting month of Ramadan could inflict heavy financial losses on the industry, reports UNB.
Bangla Academy has confirmed that the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 will begin on February 20, 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, said 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 February 9 to February 11.
According to the 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.
However, the decision to hold the 23-day fair from February 20 during 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 demanded that the fair be held after Ramadan, and they would stay away if the schedule remained unchanged. They said they raised concerns well in advance, but received no positive response from the authorities.
The publishers' platform Prokashok Oikko (Publishers' Unity) alsos sent an open letter to Tarique Rahman, chairman of BNP and the next Prime Minister, seeking intervention.
In the letter, the platform said nearly 90 per cent 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.
Against this backdrop, the publishers questioned why Bangla Academy remains firm on holding the fair despite repeated appeals for reconsideration.
