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.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and his wife Dr Shohela Aktar have tested positive for Covid-19. Read: Asaduzzaman Noor contracts Covid-19 Both are in isolation at home with mild symptoms, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid visited National Professor, writer, researcher, cultural activist and Bangla Academy Chairman Dr Rafiqul Islam on Saturday at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital (BSMMU). Khalid went to the hospital at noon to inquire about the health condition of the 87 years old Professor, who is currently undergoing treatment at the Department of Chest Diseases (Respiratory Medicine) in Cabin No 312 of BSMMU under Dr AKM Mosharraf Hossain. The state minister inquired about Rafiqul Islam's health and instructed the doctor in charge to ensure maximum medical care. He also wished a speedy recovery to Professor Rafiqul Islam and assured full cooperation from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. On October 7, National Professor Dr Rafiqul Islam was admitted to BSMMU with abdominal pain. After the examination, the doctors confirmed that water had accumulated in his lungs which was later extracted. According to Professor Dr Rafiqul Islam’s son Barshan, his father is better now than before, adding that he will be taken to Delhi or Bangkok for further treatment if needed. Professor Dr Rafiqul Islam has received Independence Award (2012), Ekushey Padak (2001), Bangla Academy Literary Award (1994) and International Mother Language Award, for his excellence in the field of academia and culture. Inducted as a National Professor in 2018, Prof Dr Rafiqul Islam is a former head of Bangla department at Dhaka University and currently a professor emeritus of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid said that film is an important medium of art and culture, especially in today's world that is largely regulated by social media platforms. “Film is a very timely medium of entertainment and universally admired as the most engaging and close medium for projecting life as realistically as possible through reflecting the joys-sorrows-laughter and tears, within a limited timeframe”. The State Minister made his remarks while inaugurating the 3rd Bangladesh Short film and Documentary Festival 2021 on Friday, as the chief guest at the virtual inauguration ceremony. Mentioning Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA)’s various activities in the medium of cinema, KM Khalid said, “BSA has been conducting activities with films since its inception in 1974. As part of its continuation in upholding our films through connecting the filmmakers and audiences, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organized ‘Bangladesh Film Festival’ in 2015 and 2017, and 'Bangladesh Short Film and Documentary Festival' in 2016 and 2018, in 64 districts of the country simultaneously.” Also read: Top 5 Most Followed Athletes Across Social Media Platforms Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Badrul Arefin, noted filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury and prominent film scholar-researcher Anupam Hayat also joined the inauguration ceremony as special guests and shared their thoughts on this special festival. Also read: The Cultural Hegemony of Social Media BSA's Director of Theatre and Film department and prominent thespian Afsana Karim Mimi delivered the welcome speech at the inauguration ceremony, which was chaired by BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky. The inauguration ceremony was hosted by media personality Nabanita Chowdhury.

  State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, MP and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller on Wednesday officially inaugurated the US-funded Lalbagh Fort cultural preservation and architectural documentation project in Old Dhaka.   The one-year initiative, funded through the U.S. government’s prestigious Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), supports restoring the Mughal-era Hammam Khana, one of three primary structures at the Lalbagh Fort complex dating from the 17th century.   Read Old Dhaka likely to get 120,000 prepaid gas metres Upon completion in 2022, both levels of the Hammam Khana will reopen to the public.  Ambassador Miller and Minister Khalid launched a ceremonial photographic drone to formally initiate work on the project and toured the grounds.    The “Restoring, Retrofitting, and 3D Architectural Documentation of Historical Mughal-era Hammam Khana at Lalbagh Fort” initiative will be led by the Ministry of Culture’s Department of Archaeology, using historically authentic materials to restore architectural features and an advanced retrofitting system to improve safety and structural stability.   Read All risky Old Dhaka buildings should be demolished: Minister

After the postponement during its traditional month of February, the Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2021 finally begins on Thursday at the Bangla Academy premises and the adjacent venue at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.

Marking the Golden Jubilee of the historic 7th March speech delivered by the country’s founding president and the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at  what is now the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, noted socio-cultural organisations arranged various virtual and offline programmes on Saturday.

Under the banner of a "Future in frames", the 14th edition of the International Children’s Film Festival Bangladesh (ICFFB) kicked off in the capital on Saturday by Children’s Film Society (CFS) Bangladesh.

Reflecting on the necessity of global festivals for the betterment of cultural practices, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said on Sunday that Bangladesh has earned the respect of the world through successfully arranging globally admired cultural rendezvous like Dhaka International Film Festival every year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been relentlessly working to materialize Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dream and vision of ‘Shonar Bangla’ and it will soon be accomplished under her firm and bold leadership, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khaled said on Sunday.