The Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2021 will be held physically in February-March following COVID-19 health safety guidelines.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid made the remark at a press conference held at the Poet Shamsur Rahman Seminar Room of Bangla Academy on Sunday.
Bangla Academy director general Habibullah Siraji and cultural affairs secretary M Badrul Arefin were present at the press conference.
‘The event has been delayed considering the COVID-19 situation. The date for the beginning of the fair has not been fixed yet. Bangla Academy and the ministry of Cultural affairs will propose three possible dates to the prime minister including February 20, March 7, March 17,’ said KM Khalid.
Earlier, a view exchange meeting was held at 11:00 am at the academy where the state minister for cultural affairs, Bangla Academy director general and publishers were present.
"We thought that the book fair could be organised in the post COVID-19 situation. Such preparations were taken to begin the fair virtually but we couldn't do so as the second wave of COVID-19 hit across the country," said KM Khalid.
"We discussed how we could start the book fair as soon as possible. As the COVID-19 situation is under control now and people are looking forward to getting thew vaccine, we decided to hold the fair physically," Khalid added.
Director of Bangla Academy Habibullah Siraji said, "We are agreed with the three possible dates. We are thinking to inaugurate the book fair on February 20 - if the government agrees, we will be taking all-out preparations considering the Covid-19 pandemic."
Previously, Bangla Academy had proposed a virtual book fair considering the COVID-19 situation i.
Earlier on December 13, publishers demanded that the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2021 should be held at the usual venues following the govern-set health directives. They also proposed that the fair should begin before February 21.
The book fair began on the Bangla Academy premises informally in 1972, and it became institutionalised in 1978. The fair was named Amar Ekushey Granthamela and a guideline for it was formulated in 1984.
