Ekushey Book Fair extended till 17 March

Ekushey book fair will continue till 17 March as the government decided to extend it 17 more days past the initial arrangement, officials said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the extension on Sunday, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid told reporters in his office at the secretariat.

The annual month-long book fair began two weeks late this year, due to the highly transmissible coronavirus Omicron variant.

In the early days of the fair, authorities said it would be extended later if the coronavirus infection rate dropped to a suitable level.

Publishers demanded that the fair continue till 17 March birthday of Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said the cultural affairs minister regarding the extension.  

The Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2022 began on 15 February and was initially to end on 28 February. Visitors can visit the fair at Suhrawardy Udyan and the Bangla Academy premises, from 2 pm to 9 pm every day. Gates will open at 11 am on holidays.

This is the second consecutive year the fair has been delayed due to the coronavirus. Last year, it began on 18 March and publishers incurred huge losses due to poor sales.

According to Bangla Academy sources, around 7 lakh square feet of space has been allotted for the book fair this year. As many as 102 publishers were allocated stalls on the Bangla Academy premises, and 432 in Suhrawardy Udyan.