The 38th Amar Ekushey Book Fair is set to open for two weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the fair through a virtual event at the Ganabhaban at 3 pm, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid said at a media briefing at Bangla Academy on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.
The government may extend the duration of the fair if COVID-19 cases decline. The state minister said the ministry is hopeful that the duration can be extended and is awaiting the prime minister’s instruction on the matter as the number of infections is trending down.
“We were unsure about having the book fair this year due to the pandemic. But the prime minister gave the green light to open the fair. The duration of the fair has been reduced to two weeks from Feb 15-28.”
The event will commemorate the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence, the 70 years of the 1952 Language Movement and the 50th anniversary of drafting the country’s first Constitution.
“The construction of the stalls and pavilions at Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises will be completed by Monday. We hope that publishers will be able to put books on the stalls tomorrow morning,” said poet Mohammad Nurul Huda, the director-general of the academy.
This year, the fair will be open from 2 pm to 9 pm. The gates will open early on Friday, with the fair kicking off at 11 am. Visitors will not be allowed to enter the venue after 8:30 pm.