CA to inaugurate Amar Ekushey Book Fair Saturday

The month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025 is set to commence on Saturday at the Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises, with Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus scheduled to inaugurate the country�s largest book fair.  

"Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus is expected to inaugurate the book fair at 3 PM on February 1," said Dr. Sarkar Amin, Member Secretary of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair Committee, during a press conference at the academy�s Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad auditorium on Thursday.  

This year�s theme is "July Gono Obbhuthyan: Notun Bangladesh Binirman" (The July Uprising: Rebuilding a New Bangladesh).  

Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki will attend the opening ceremony as a special guest. Bangla Academy Director General Mohammad Azam will deliver the welcome speech, with Bangla Academy President Prof. Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque presiding over the event.  

A total of 708 publishers will participate in the fair, with 99 stalls set up on the Bangla Academy premises and 609 at Suhrawardy Udyan. Last year, 937 stalls were allocated to 635 organizations. This year�s fair will feature 37 pavilions�one at Bangla Academy and 36 at Suhrawardy Udyan. The Little Magazine Corner will be located under the trees near the open stage at Suhrawardy Udyan, housing around 130 stalls.  

Dr. Mohammad Azam, committee president, and Dr. Md. Selim Reza, Bangla Academy Secretary, also addressed the press conference. Dr. Sarkar Amin stated that while the fair�s layout will largely follow last year�s structure, some adjustments have been made, including relocating the exit gate closer to the temple gate due to the nearby metro rail station.  

Visitors will have access through four entry and exit points: TSC, Doyel Chattar, the MRT basing plant, and the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB). Food stalls will be arranged along the IEB boundary, and 30 washrooms�the highest number in the fair�s history�have been installed.  

Security will be ensured by the police, RAB, Ansar, and intelligence agencies, with over 300 CCTV cameras installed across the venue. Additionally, security archways will be placed at all entry and exit points.  

As in previous years, the main stage will be on the Bangla Academy premises, while the Book Unwrapping and Lekhak Bolchi stages will be set up at Suhrawardy Udyan. 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, except on February 8 and 15. The fair will also feature recreational activities such as art, recitation, and music competitions for children and teenagers.  

This year�s fair aims to be eco-friendly and zero-waste, with organizers encouraging participants to use sustainable materials like jute, fabric, and paper instead of single-use plastics.  

The book fair will be open from 3 PM to 9 PM on weekdays and from 11 AM to 9 PM on public holidays, with a one-hour break for lunch and prayers. On International Mother Language Day (February 21), the fair will open at 8 AM and continue until 9 PM.  

Continuing its tradition, the fair will present several awards for outstanding publications from 2024, including the Chittaranjan Saha Memorial Award for quality publications, the Munir Chowdhury Memorial Award for artistic excellence, the Rokonuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Memorial Award for children's literature, and the Qayyum Chowdhury Memorial Award for aesthetic stall design.