The curtain has fallen on the longest Boi Mela ever, with a total of 6 million patrons having visited the fair,, and a total of 3751 new books being published at the fair. Book sales amounted to an estimated Tk 60 crore. Data collected from the Bangla Academy about new book publications show that the number of new book publications decreased remarkably after the Covid-19 pandemic, and even though they rose this year from last year, they are still not back to pre-Covid levels. In 2019, a total of 4834 new books were published from the stage of the book fair. In 2020 the number of new book publications saw an increase to 4919. In 2021’s book fair, the first after the pandemic, the number of new book publications decreased to 2640. However, after 2021, the number of new book publications started seeing gradual but very low increment. In 2022, the number of new books climbed to 3416 from 2640, and 2023’s book fair book witnessed a total of 3730 new books being unveiled. This year, slightly increasing, the number of new book publication hit the number 3751. Books worth Tk47 crore sold in Amar Ekushey Book Fair in 27 days Collected data shows that 144 new books, related to Bangabandhu, were published in 2020’s book fair. In 2021, Bangabandhu related books decreased nearly twice than 2020’s fair hitting the publication number 51 and after the year in 2022, 77 books related to Bangabandhu were unveiled from the book unveiling stage. In 2023 the number again decreased and marked the number 35 and this year only 27 Bangabandhu related books were published from the book unveiling stage of Amar Ekushey Book fair. For poem category books, in 2020, 1585 new books were unveiled from the book unveiling stage which decreased to 898 in 2021. After 2021, the number of poem related book publication climbed to 1060. Then in 2023 it climbed to 1257 and this year it again went down to 1192. Aside from this, the number of new research work publications from the book fair also seem to have decreased over the last five years.In 2020, a total of 112 research related books were published from the book fair ground. In 2021, the number fall to 47. However, in 2022 the number of new research publications was 102. But research-based book publication number again fall to 75 and remain the same since 2023. For liberation war category books, in 2020, a total of 152 new books were published from the book unveiling stage. In 2021 the number of new published book of this category was 84. In 2022, the number of liberation war related books was 102. After that the number of new books of this category remained the same hitting the number 75. Curtain falls on Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2023 On the same way, the differences of the numbers of new book publication among other categories like story books, Novels, health related books, translated books, drama, science category books were observed from the found data which indicate that covid-19 pandemic effected Amar Ekushey book publication negatively.

In anticipation of the Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela (book fair) 2024, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has announced extensive security measures to tackle potential sabotage acts and militant threats. The security plan, detailed by DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, aims to ensure a safe environment for the attendees of Bangladesh’s largest book fair, set to open on February 1. Commissioner Rahman, after inspecting the security protocols, stated, “We have put in place a robust security framework to enable visitors to explore and enjoy the fair without any apprehension.” These remarks were made during his visit to the book fair’s location in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan on Wednesday. Books worth Tk47 crore sold in Amar Ekushey Book Fair in 27 days Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is slated to inaugurate the month-long cultural event at 3 pm on February 1. In a first for the fair, attendees can now enter and exit through five designated gates at Suhrawardy Udyan, including a special entrance via the Engineering Institute. Each entry point will be equipped with archways and metal detectors to enhance safety. The DMP Commissioner outlined the comprehensive security measures, including the establishment of internal and external security perimeters and continuous surveillance by undercover detectives. Additionally, numerous watch towers have been erected to oversee and prevent any unforeseen incidents. Further bolstering the security, the entire fair area is under continuous CCTV monitoring, connected to a dedicated control room. The DMP has arranged various patrolling units, including foot, street, and cyber patrols, around the fair vicinity. The presence of the dog squad, SWAT team, and bomb disposal unit will provide an immediate response capability. Kid’s zone of Ekushey Book Fair abuzz with little book lovers  In addition to these security provisions, the DMP has taken measures to cater to the comfort and well-being of the visitors. These include a lost and found center for missing children, a nursing center for mothers, blood donation facilities, and access to pure drinking water throughout the fair premises. The security plan was detailed in the presence of senior DMP officials, emphasizing the significance and scale of the protective measures for this cultural cornerstone event. Read more: Tracing the Roots of Ekushey Boi Mela

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair, or Boi Mela, is almost here. Bangla Academy, the traditional guardian of the month-long book fair, which takes the form of a literature festival, has already allotted stalls and pavilions to the publishers. Visiting the fairgrounds in Suhrawardy Uddyan and Bangla Academy’s sprawling premises in recent days, UNB observed that the publishers have been working diligently to prepare their stalls and pavilions since receiving their allotment on January 23. The publishers were seen instructing their workers and carpenters to build the stalls according to their preferred design - some simple and traditional, others quite extravagant. While talking to UNB at the fair premises, the publishers expressed their hope to see even bigger crowds than previous ones due to the Metro Rail opening in the city. They mentioned the two metro stations located near the fairgrounds (Shahbagh and TSC stations), which will allow people from distant locations in the city to attend the fair easily and smoothly. Ahmed Munir, the proprietor of Uchhas Publications, is confident this year's fair will be more crowded than ever, and the number of readers and visitors will increase. Many people will come from different parts of the country even, because the overall communication system is much better now. So, readers will be able to come to the fair very easily and in less time than before. Curtain falls on Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2023

Falgun, the first month of the festive Spring season and the eleventh month in the Bengali calendar, will be welcomed Tuesday and will also be celebrated on the same day as Valentine's Day, which has been a tradition in Bangladesh since 2020. The second largest celebration in the Bengali calendar year, Pahela Falgun meaning Falgun 1st, used to be celebrated on February 13 every year; however, it was merged with Valentine’s Day in 2020 when Bangla Academy revised Bangla Calendar to align it better with the Gregorian calendar. Welcoming the king of all the six seasons which breathes the life back into brings vibrant sunshine and mild heat in the weather after the short-lived Winter season in the country, the nation is ready to greet the first day of Falgun amid colourful festivities and yellow-red festive attires. Read More: Budget-friendly Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day Keeping pace with the rest of the world, Bangladeshis will also celebrate Valentine’s Day with their beloved ones, a day symbolising and celebrating love among their beloveds. Although the added festivities of Pahela Falgun brought a new and refreshing tone to the day, netizens especially the youths have been observing the day for the last couple of decades now.  Different organisations and businesses will be celebrating this festive February 14 with multiple festivities this year, marking the return of grand in-person celebrations after three long years of battling with the Coronavirus pandemic and its aftermaths. The tradition of celebrating the Pahela Falgun in Bangladesh started in the Bengali calendar year 1401. Since then, the Jatiya Bawshonto Utsab Udyapan Parishad has been celebrating Pahela Falgun regularly with colourful cultural festivity at the Bakultala of Charukala (Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Art) in the morning every year. Read More: 10 Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Wife Although the Parishad could not arrange the regular festivities in 2022 due to the pandemic, this year the organization will observe the Pahela Falgun festivities in Charukala Bakultala at 7 am and 3 pm with two different seasons. It will also host similar festivities in the afternoon on the open stage at Uttara Rabindra Sarani and Bahadur Shah Park in the capital. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) will organise a special cultural event at its Nandan Mancha at 4pm. The event will feature musical performances, recitations, dance recitals and choreography of Spring-themed Bengali fashion; however, it also obligated the female festival-goers to must wear flower garlands and males to wear flower garlands in their hands, which infuriated many netizens on social media as they believe such events should not make such obligations. The ongoing Amar Ekushey Book Fair at Bangla Academy and Sohrawardi Udyan already observed an influx of crowd on Monday, the long-standing usual day of Pahela Falgun in the past; and the book-sellers and fair authorities are expecting an even bigger crowd on Tuesday amid the festivities. Read More: Tracing the Roots of Ekushey Boi Mela.

The longest-running Amar Ekushey Book Fair concluded in the capital Thursday. The 31-day fair is estimated to have sold books worth Tk52.50 crore. Traditionally held throughout February every year at the Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan, the fair's 2022 edition started on February 15 after a pandemic-induced delay. Jalal Ahmed, director of the Bangla Academy and member secretary of the Ekushey Book Fair Committee, presented the sales report of this year at the closing ceremony.

Bangla Academy has organized a three-day special screening of Piplu Khan directed Bangladeshi independent historical docudrama ‘Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale’ at the ongoing Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2022 on Tuesday. Marking the closing days of the fair alongside the occasion of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 102nd Birth Anniversary, the special screening began at 6 pm on Tuesday at the Bhasha Shahid Muktomoncho, Bangla Academy premises in the capital. The special screening will again be held on Wednesday, March 16 at 6 pm and Thursday, March 17 at 7:30 pm at the same venue. A docudrama on the life of Bangladeshi Prime Minister and the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, ‘Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale’ was premiered at Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City Shopping Complex in the capital on November 15, 2018, and also was internationally released at Star Cineplex on the following day. An extensive 5-year-long collaboration between the Centre for Research and Information (CRI) and Applebox Films, the docudrama stars Sheikh Hasina as herself in the title role alongside her younger sister Sheikh Rehana as herself, also both as narrators. READ: 'Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale’ to be aired on television on her birthday Described as a riveting story of the daughter of Bangabandhu out of a tragic backdrop by the filmmaker, the film covers and refers to the assassination of the Prime Minister's father along with most of her family in 1975 and the aftermath of the situation. Debojyoti Mishra, an internationally acclaimed Indian music composer and film director, has composed the musical score for the film which is produced by CRI trustees Radwan Mujib Siddiq, grandson of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, alongside Nasrul Hamid, state minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

The government has extended the duration of the ongoing Amar Ekushey Book Fair, originally scheduled to end on February 28, until March 17, said State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid on Sunday. “The government has taken the decision due to improvement in Covid situation.  The publishers and writers also demanded time extension of the book fair,” he 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, said Khalid. Read: Ekushey book fair yet to gather momentum “We are monitoring whether health guidelines are being properly followed at the book fair and there is huge crowd at the fair,” he added. On February 9, KM Khalid said if the Covid-19 situation improves, the government will consider the time extension of Ekushey Book Fair, 2022. Amar Ekushey Book Fair began on February 15. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the fair after joining its inaugural ceremony at the Bangla Academy virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban. This year’s fair is being held on the Bangla Academy premises and its adjoining Suhrawardy Udyan in the city. Read: PM inaugurates Ekushey Book Fair-2022 The month-long book fair is arranged every year in February commemorating the sacrifices of people who laid down their lives on February 21, 1952, for establishing Bangla as the mother tongue. The traditional Amar Ekushey Book Fair began informally in 1972 on Bangla Academy premises; however, the academy officially took the responsibility to arrange the fair regularly, every year since 1978. It was then named 'Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela' and a guideline was laid out in this regard in 1984.

Bangla Academy has started its all-out preparations to hold the month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair, one of the most sought-after events for the booklovers and writers, at it will kick off on February 1. “Bangla Academy has started its preparations for the book fair and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate it,” member secretary of the Book Fair Committee Dr Jalal Uddin told UNB. "This year's fair will be a special one, we’re decorating the fairground considering the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence,” he said. Also read: Ekushey Book Fair: 3 publishing houses awarded for using bKash Indeed, the main theme of the upcoming book fair is Bangabandhu’s birth centenary and Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh, Dr Jalal added.

This year’s Amar Ekushey Boi Mela (Book Fair) is unlike anything the country has seen. There are stalls and books but hardly any visitor and people willing to buy books. A recent surge in Coronavirus cases and subsequent clampdown by the government to contain the transmission have only complicated the situation for the publishers who say they are counting huge losses every day. It is especially hard for small publishers. The Bangla Academy went ahead with the fair ignoring recommendations of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Salespersons at the fair said that there was hardly any sale. Most people are here for visit, not to buy books, they said. “This edition lacks the vibe and lustre of a regular book fair,” one of the salespersons said. “The usual crowd of visitors, writers and publishers is missing. The sale has been frustrating.” Also read: Boi Mela to be open for 3.5 hours a day due to COVID-19

The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 has recommended to stop the ongoing Amar Ekushey Book Fair as the country is seeing a massive jump in daily cases. It has also proposed to halt all types of social events and shut other recreational centres to curb the spread of coronavirus. At its meeting, the committee also recommended increasing ICU and Covid-19 ward beds at Dhaka hospitals to deal with the increasing stream of patients. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest-ever daily cases, 59 deaths It welcomed the 18-point directive issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and emphasised formulating a specific action plan in this regard. Boi Mela hours curtailed The surge in coronavirus cases forced the Book Fair management to cut short the daily operational hours. Also read: Boi Mela to be open for 3.5 hours a day due to COVID-19 Currently, the fair remains open from 3pm to 6:30pm daily. Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh recorded its highest daily coronavirus cases on Thursday when the health authorities confirmed 6,469 new infections in the last 24 hours. Also read: Restriction on gatherings, quarantine rule among PMO’s 18-point directive to contain Covid surge The infection rate also jumped to 22.94 percent from 19.9 percent on Wednesday.