The preparations for Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025, which will begin at Suhrawardy Udyan and the Bangla Academy premises in the capital Dhaka on February 1, are in the final stage.
At the fair venues, workers, including carpenters, masons, painters and electricians were seen on Wednesday busy in preparing the pavilions and stalls or giving the finishing touches to those.
A number of publishers said that they had already completed the preparations for the country鈥檚 largest month-long book fair.
At Suhrawardy Udyan, more than 10 temporary shops of woods, boards, paints and other accessories were opened for setting up and decorating the pavilions and stalls by the publishing houses and organisations.
This year 1,059 units have been allotted to 693 publishing houses and organisations, said Bangla Academy officials.
Among the allocations, 139 units and a pavilion on the Bangla Academy premises are allocated to 92 publishing houses and organisations, while 920 units at Suhrawardy Udyan are allocated to 601 publishing houses and organisations.
Besides, 34 pavilions at Suhrawardy Udyan are allocated to big publishing houses and organisations.
Saeed Bari, a member of the fair organising committee and chief executive of publishing house Suchipatra, said that this year publishers and organisations got 10 days for preparing the stalls and pavilions.
鈥楾he lottery for the stalls and pavilions was held on January 21, as the main goal was to receive at least 10 days for preparing the stalls. Now we are working day and night to ready our stalls, but we suffer for a lack of electricity support at night at Suhrawardy Udyan,鈥� said Saeed.
Osman Gani, chief executive officer and publisher of Agamee Prakashani, said that in the current political reality all publishers would work together for a good book fair because Amar Ekushey Book Fair had built the publishing industry of the country and the fair became one of the grand cultural events of the country.
鈥榃e need to work for a better book fair in this unstable political situation of the country. We have solved almost all the hurdles to holding a good book fair and we hope the fair will create unity and festivity among the people of the country,鈥� said Osman.
Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025 organising committee member secretary Sarkar Amin said that workers from the academy and the publishers and organisers who received allotment were working continuously for preparing the venues and the electricity problem at the venues had been solved.
鈥榃e hope that we can complete the work in time. This year we use tin and waterproof tarpaulins on the roof to protect us from rain water. We hope publishers also take proper protections against rain water,鈥� said Amin, adding that they also focused on the toilet facilities and fire protection system.
Amin said that this year police and detectives in plain clothes would be deployed at the venues and representatives from the Students against Discrimination would also work as volunteers to maintain discipline and security at the fair venues.
This year cultural programmes will be held at both the venues by different cultural organisations and troupes, capturing the spirit of the student-led mass uprising, added Amin.
