Amar Ekushey Boi Mela

Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2017 opens at the Bangla Academy grounds at 1 February, 2017. The event that started its journey in 1984 has hugely expanded in size, number of publications on display, and in terms of attracting visitors over the years. Actually it is the Bengali term boi mela, which sounds nicer and, in its literal meaning of festival of books, is more accurate. Because this is not some trade expo, like Frankfurt, nor it is some polite but dull gathering of the middle classes. The fair attracts hundreds of thousands of people over its duration. 

Held every February, it is dedicated to the martyrs of 21" February 1952 who sacrificed their lives during a demonstration, calling for the establishment of the Bengali language as the state language of former united Pakistan. During the 1950s  and 1960s, the book fair was not a part of the celebration. Ekushey celebrations started assuming a new look soon after Independence. It was in 1972 that a publisher, Chittaranjan Saha, of the prestigious publishing house Muktadhara came forward with a couple of books spread on a mat. That was the beginning and soon in the mid 1970s some others joined him and the book fair got off to a modest start. No one could have imagined at that time that some day it would become the most frequented rendezvous of the publishers, booksellers, writers, readers and even casual browsers all converging on this hallowed ground. - Quite astonishingly. 70 percent of all books in the country are sold during this time and only in this month alone 90 per cent of the books are published. It is the cultural and literary reunion of all Bangladeshis where nearly every book lover comes. Discount on books, per cent is an added incentive.

Ekushe Boi Mela is symbolic of our love lor Bangla language and literature. It also provides something of a basis to gauge how far we have progressed in developing our language and literature including translation of books from foreign languages into our mother tongue.

Currently the fair area is much more spacious with most stalls in the Sohrawardy Uddyan. It is the responsibility of the Bangla Academy to make the event more entertaining and friendlier place for the book lovers.