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The Bangla Academy's decision to reschedule the upcoming Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026, which has traditionally been held throughout the month of February, has sparked controversy and caused profound dismay among booklovers and publishers. The row began when the Academy proposed holding the fair from 17 December to 17 January, citing the overlap of February with the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming national elections.
The proposition is absurd for several reasons. The Ekushey Book Fair is inseparably tied to the observance of the Language Movement. How can it possibly be shifted to December? To hold the fair of the Language Movement month in the month of Victory Day, yet still call it the Ekushey book fair, is a contradiction that defies both logic and sentiment. Unsurprisingly, such timing failed to resonate with readers, authors, and publishers alike. And to make matters worse, the idea of holding the 2026 fair in 2025 was as absurd as it was ill-conceived.
Faced with strong backlash, the Bangla Academy eventually postponed the December fair. The official notice stated, following a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs, that the fair should now be organised after the national election. Yet this second announcement has only created further uncertainty. With the election scheduled for mid-February, the formation of a new government will take time, leaving only a limited window to organise the fair within the remaining days of the month.
The Ekushey Book Fair is not just like other trade fairs. It is a cultural heritage, a gathering of writers, readers, publishers, and intellectuals that reinvigorates the nation's literary and cultural spirit. Tampering with its schedule or leaving the fair in limbo, therefore, is not merely a matter of concern but an affront to its historical and emotional significance.
Moreover, the grounds cited for rescheduling the fair are untenable. In the past, the fair has taken place during both Ramadan and national elections. Parliamentary elections were held in February 1991 and 1996, yet the Ekushey Book Fair continued as scheduled, in accordance with the history and heritage of the Language Movement. Even when Ramadan fell in February in other years, the fair was held without disruption.
The only exception was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a global shutdown made gatherings impossible. That extraordinary circumstance cannot be considered a valid precedent.
The authorities should have provided a possible schedule alongside the postponement notice. But they have remained silent, leaving writers, publishers, and readers in a state of uncertainty. The fair of the Language Movement month must take place in February. It can be held alongside Ramadan and the national elections, and if necessary, the fair can remain closed on the day of the election.
And, if an adjustment is necessary, the fair's duration can be shortened to 15 days. Given the election schedule, the fair could begin from 15 to 28 February, or can be extended into mid-March. The Ekushey Book Fair must be held at all costs within February.
If necessary, it could begin a few days after 21 February, but under no circumstances should it be postponed until March. The fair's timing is inseparable from its identity, and any deviation undermines both tradition and the literary heritage it is meant to celebrate.