ET Desk: The month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2025 is set to begin on Saturday, 1 February on the Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises as Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to inaugurate the country’s largest book fair.

“Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is likely to inaugurate the Book Fair at 3pm on 1 February,” Amar Ekushey Book Fair Committee Member Secretary Dr Sarkar Amin told a press conference at the academy’s Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad auditorium on Thursday.

The theme for this year’s book fair is “July Gono Obbhuthyan: Notun Bangladesh Binirman” (The July Uprising: Rebuilding a New Bangladesh”).

Cultural affairs adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki will address the opening ceremony as the special guest while Bangla Academy Director General Mohammad Azam to give welcome speech with Bangla Academy President Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque in the chair. Among the 708 publishers participating in the book fair, 99 stalls will set up on the Bangla Academy premises, while 609 will be at Suhrawardy Udyan. A total of 937 stalls have been allocated to 635 organizations on the book fair last year.

The fair will feature 37 pavilions- one at Bangla Academy and 36 at Suhrawardy Udyan while the Little Magazine Corner will be situated under the trees near the open stage in Suhrawardy Udyan, accommodating around 130 little magazine stalls.

Bangla Academy Director General and committee President Dr Mohammad Azam and Bangla Academy Secretary Dr Md Selim Reza also addressed the press conference.

The layout of the book fair will remain similar to last year, with some adjustments, Sarker Amin said, adding, “Due to the proximity of the metro rail station, the exit gate has been moved closer to the temple gate”.

Four entry and exit points will be available at TSC, Doyel Chattar, the MRT basing plant, and the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).

Food stalls will be organised along the IEB boundary, while 30 washrooms have been installed across the fair venue this year, the highest number in the fair’s history, said Sarker Amin.

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

Like previous years, the main stage of the fair will be on the Bangla Academy premises while book unwrapping and “Lekhak Bolchi” stages will be set up on Suhrawardi Udyan premises.

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 11am to 1pm on Fridays and Saturdays, excluding 8 and 15 February. Like previous editions, several recreational activities including art, recitation, and music competitions for children and teenagers will be organised as part of the fair’s activities.

This year, the Amar Ekushey Book Fair aims to be eco-friendly and zero-waste, said the organizers, adding, “All participants and book fair stakeholders are encouraged and requested to use sustainable materials like jute, fabric, and paper instead of single-use plastics”.

The book fair will remain open for all from 3:00pm to 9:00pm on working days and 11:00am to 9:00pm on public holidays with a one-hour break for lunch and prayers. Marking the International Mother Language Day on 21 February, the fair will begin at 8am and run until 9pm.

Following its previous traditions, several awards will be handed over to outstanding publications from 2024, including the Chittaranjan Saha Memorial Award for quality publications, the Munir Chowdhury Memorial Award for artistic excellence, Rokonuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Memorial Award for children’s literature, and the Qayyum Chowdhury Memorial Award for aesthetic stall design.