The Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026, usually held in February, will be brought forward this time, starting from December 17 and continuing until January 17, the Bangla Academy announced on Thursday.

According to a press release issued by the Academy, the decision was made considering the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election to be held under the interim government, as well as the holy month of Ramadan, which will be observed in February.

The announcement came following a meeting on fixing the schedule of the fair, held Thursday afternoon at the Shaheed Munier Chowdhury auditorium of Bangla Academy.

The meeting was presided over by Ministry of Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Mofidur Rahman and attended by Bangla Academy Director General Prof Mohammad Azam, the Academy’s secretary and directors, along with representatives of the Bangladesh Publishers and Booksellers Association.

The statement said the decision was taken against the backdrop of the upcoming national polls and Ramadan.

Earlier, due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair was held in March, while the 2022 edition took place from February 15 to mid-March.

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Back in 1983, during the anti-autocracy movement against HM Ershad’s regime, the fair was suspended for a year.

With the new schedule, this will be the first time that the country’s largest literary festival will be held twice in the same calendar year.