Amar Ekushey Book Fair to continue till Mar 17

The government has extended the duration of the ongoing Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela (book fair) until 17 March, said state minister for cultural affairs KM Khalid on Sunday.

The fair was originally scheduled to end on 28 February.

“The government has taken the decision due to improvement in Covid situation. The publishers and writers also demanded time extension of the book fair,” Khalid said at a press briefing at the secretariat.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina gave an approval to extend the duration of the book fair Sunday morning, the state minister said.

“We are monitoring whether health guidelines are being properly followed at the book fair as there is a huge crowd at the fair,” he added.

On 9 February, KM Khalid said if the Covid-19 situation improves, the government will consider the time extension of Ekushey Book Fair, 2022.

The book fair began on 15 February.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the fair after joining its inaugural ceremony at the Bangla Academy virtually from her official residence, Gonobhaban.

This year’s fair is being held on the Bangla Academy premises and its adjoining Suhrawardy Udyan in the city.

The month-long book fair is arranged every year in February commemorating the sacrifices of people who laid down their lives on 21 February, 1952, for establishing Bangla as the mother tongue.

The traditional Amar Ekushey book fair began informally in 1972 on Bangla Academy premises. The academy, however, officially took the responsibility to organise the fair regularly, every year since 1978.