Ekushey Book Fair to be extended till 7th March if a drop in Covid cases is observed

on Feb 10, 2022

The government is planning to extend the Amar Ekushey Book Fair which was initially scheduled to go on from 15th till 28th of February, by around two weeks if they witness a drop in Covid-19 cases, said Minister for Cultural Affairs, KM Khalid.

“We have planned to extend the duration of the book fair to 17th March if the Covid-19 infection rate decreases,” said KM Khalid in a meeting of Amar Ekushey Book Fair management committee at Bangla Academy yesterday. The final decision about the end date of the fair will be revealed later, said the officials concerned.

The timings for the book fair are 2 pm to 9 pm on weekdays and 11 am to 9 pm on Friday, Saturday, and other public holidays. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the fair through a virtual event.

The state minister for cultural affairs said that a task force will remain vigilant to check about pirated books and other irregularities at the fair. Also, a safe and attractive children’s corner will be set up at the fair. People who are not vaccinated are not allowed to enter or work at the fair. The authorities concerned have asked the unvaccinated publishers, salespersons and stall owners to get the covid-19 vaccine.

Last year, the fair which usually begins on 1st February, was also postponed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 infections. Later, the fair commenced on March 18th at the Bangla Academy premises and its adjacent venue at the capital’s Suhrawardy udyan. The publishers suffered huge losses as the number of visitors at the fair last year was not satisfactory.