“We have decided to open the book fair on March 18 in line with our discussions with publishers,” Habibullah Sirajee, the director general of the Bangla Academy, told bdnews24.com on Monday. Later, the Gyan O Srijanshil Prokashok Samiti or the Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh objected to the proposal to hold a virtual book fair, saying that they wanted the Ekushey Book Fair to be staged outdoors like every other year. The Amar Ekushey Book Fair is the lucrative time of the year for creative book publishers. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid said on Jan 18 that the book fair would be held in person, even if it was delayed. After receiving the green light from the Prime Minister's Office, the organisers of the book fair, Bangla Academy and Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh have now decided to open the fair on Mar 18.

Source: bd News24 January 25, 2021 13:03 UTC