Dhaka: The month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2025 is set to commence today at the Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to inaugurate the country’s largest book fair at 3 pm.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the theme for this year’s book fair is “July Gono Obbhuthyan: Notun Bangladesh Binirman” (The July Uprising: Rebuilding a New Bangladesh”). Cultural affairs adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki will address the opening ceremony as the special guest, while Bangla Academy Director General Mohammad Azam will give the welcome speech, with Bangla Academy President Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque presiding over the event.
The book fair will host 708 publishers, with 99 stalls set up on the Bangla Academy premises and 609 at Suhrawardy Udyan. In total, 937 stalls have been allocated to 635 organizations, continuing the trend from last year. Additionally, the fair will feature 37 pavilions, including one at Bangla Academy and 36 at Suhrawardy Udyan, with a Little Magazine Corner accommodating around 130 stalls.
The layout of the book fair remains similar to last year, with adjustments made for the proximity of the metro rail station, moving the exit gate closer to the temple gate. Four entry and exit points will be available at TSC, Doyel Chattar, the MRT basing plant, and the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).
Food stalls will be organized along the IEB boundary, and 30 washrooms have been installed across the venue, marking the highest number in the fair’s history. Security will be managed by police, RAB, Ansar, and intelligence agencies, with over 300 CCTV cameras installed across the venue. Archways will be set up at all entry and exit points.
Daily seminars will take place at 4 pm on the main stage, followed by cultural performances in the evening. A special “Children’s Hour” will run from 11 am to 1 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, excluding specific dates, with several recreational activities for children and teenagers.
The organizers aim for the fair to be eco-friendly and zero-waste, encouraging participants to use sustainable materials like jute, fabric, and paper. The fair will be open from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm on working days and from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm on public holidays, with special hours on International Mother Language Day.
Continuing past traditions, several awards will be presented for outstanding publications from 2024, including the Chittaranjan Saha Memorial Award, the Munir Chowdhury Memorial Award, Rokonuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Memorial Award, and the Qayyum Chowdhury Memorial Award.