The Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025 has begun at Suhrawardy Udyan. Readers, writers and publishers have been waiting for this month-long book fair all year round. Like the past decade, this year too, the book fair is being held with the participation of Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan.
Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus inaugurated the country's largest month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2025 at the Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises.
Earlier, Amar Ekushey Book Fair Committee Member Secretary Dr. Sarkar Amin said at a press conference at the Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium of the Academy on Thursday (January 30), 'Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus will inaugurate the book fair at 3 pm on February 1.' The theme of this year's book fair is 'July Mass Uprising: Building a New Bangladesh'.
The inaugural ceremony will be presided over by Bangla Academy President Professor Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque, with Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostafa Sarwar Farooqui speaking as a special guest and Bangla Academy Director General Mohammad Azam delivering the welcome address.
Out of the 708 publishers participating in the book fair, 99 stalls will be set up on the Bangla Academy premises and 609 at Suhrawardy Udyan. Last year, 635 institutions were allotted a total of 937 stalls at the book fair.
The fair will have 37 pavilions, one at Bangla Academy and 36 at Suhrawardy Udyan. The Little Magazine Corner will be under a tree near the open stage of Suhrawardy Udyan, with about 130 little magazine stalls.
Stating that the layout of the book fair will remain the same as last year, Sarkar Amin said, "The exit gate has been moved closer to the temple gate as it is close to the metro rail station."
There will be four points for entry and exit near Dhaka University's TSC, Doel Chattar, MRT Basing Plant and Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.
Sarkar Amin said that food stalls will be arranged along the fair's perimeter and 30 toilets have been set up in the fair premises, which is the highest in the fair's history.
Security will be ensured by members of the police, RAB, Ansar and intelligence agencies. More than three hundred CCTV cameras will be installed at the venue and archways will be installed at all entrances and exits.
Like in previous years, this time too the main stage of the fair will be at the Bangla Academy premises, while the Boi Khola and 'Lekhak Bolchi' stages will be set up at the Suhrawardy Udyan premises. Seminars and cultural programs will be held on the main stage at 4 pm every day and evening.
A special 'Child Hour' will be held on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 1 pm, except on February 8 and 15. Like every year, various entertainment activities including Shilpacharya, recitation and music competitions will be organized for children and teenagers as part of the fair's activities.
The organizers said that this year's Amar Ekushey Book Fair is being run with the aim of being eco-friendly and zero-waste. 'All participants and book fair partners are encouraged and requested to use sustainable materials like jute, cloth and paper instead of single-use plastic.'
The book fair will be open to everyone from 3 pm to 9 pm on every working day and from 11 am to 9 pm on public holidays. There will be a one-hour break for lunch and prayers. The fair, marking International Mother Language Day on February 21, will start from 8 am and continue until 9 pm.
Following the previous tradition, from 2024 onwards, several awards will be given, including the Chittaranjan Saha Memorial Award for quality publications, the Munir Chowdhury Memorial Award for artistic excellence, the Rokanuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Memorial Award for children's literature, and the Qayyum Chowdhury Memorial Award for aesthetic stall design.