Publishers Call 2026 Ekushey Book Fair the Worst in History Amid Near-Zero Book Sales

This year, the Bangla Academy has delivered what many are calling the most disastrous book fair in the country’s history. On one hand, far fewer books were published than expected; on the other, book sales have practically dropped to zero, creating a new milestone of failure. Those involved said that alarmingly there were almost no new books on the Liberation War, and the fair has turned into a laughable event with almost no visitors.

Publishers say they are deeply worried about how they will cover the daily expenses of the fair, the salaries of stall workers, and the cost of transporting unsold books back to Banglabazar. Many publishers fear they will return home before Eid burdened with debt. Some even expressed concern about whether they will be able to cook meals at home during Eid this year.

It has been learned that from the very beginning the Academy had an ill intention regarding this year’s book fair. They allegedly conspired to change its traditional character by postponing the fair from February under various excuses. According to some sources, a few top fundamentalist publishers with Islamic ideological leanings were also involved in this conspiracy.

Many leaders of publishing houses said that under the pretext of allocating stalls for free, the Academy organized this year’s book fair in a careless manner, creating what they called a shameful chapter in its history.

When asked about book sales at the fair, several publishers said this year’s event has left many of them in a desperate and humiliating situation. The truth of this claim became evident from the statement of Galib Sohan, a sales worker at Anandalok Prokashoni. Sohan said that on the 16th day of the fair they sold books worth only 2,000 taka.

According to book fair sales statistics, book sales in 2023, 2024, and 2025 were 47 crore, 60 crore, and 40 crore taka respectively. However, many publishers also expressed doubts about these figures. They said that for years the Academy has created confusion regarding the total amount of book sales. The figures it provides to the media every year are often considered fabricated, creating a sense of mystery among publishers, writers, and readers.

Publishers expressed frustration over these allegedly made-up numbers provided by the fair management committee. They say the Academy’s figures cannot be trusted. According to them, the Academy has long kept publishers in the dark about the actual sales figures while engaging in what they describe as a kind of spectacle. Publishers called the final sales statistics presented to the media on the last day of the fair a “Shubonkorer Fanki” (a deceptive accounting trick). They claim that for more than a decade the fair management committee has maintained exclusive control over the sales statistics and kept those involved in publishing unaware of the real numbers.

When asked what the sales figure for this year might be considering the past three years’ data, many publishers said that such a poor fair has never been seen before. Based on the real sales situation, they themselves doubt whether even 10 crore taka worth of books were sold in total this year. They also said they have little interest in what figure the fair management committee will ultimately present to the media.

While smaller publishers often show disappointment about sales in other years, this year even large publishers are facing the same situation.

Humayun Kabir of Charulipi Prokashoni said that on many days several stalls did not sell a single book something never seen before in the fair. He blamed the Bangla Academy entirely for what he described as the tragic downfall or “untimely death” of the book fair. He also demanded the immediate resignation of the Academy’s Director General Mohammad Azam, taking responsibility for the alleged conspiracy and overall failure of the event.

Mujibur Rahman Khoka of Bidyaprakash expressed his disappointment, saying the terrible condition of publishing and sales at this year’s fair will force publishers to pay the price for years to come. “We never expected such a book fair,” he said.

On March 13, after iftar, when sudden hailstorms hit the fairgrounds, a publisher in the Little Magazine Corner jokingly remarked that even nature had joined hands with the Bangla Academy in turning against them.

Those involved say that due to the arbitrary decisions of the Bangla Academy, this year’s book fair has turned into a spectacle. They hope that in the future the historic and prestigious Ekushey Book Fair will not fall into the hands of the inexperienced and become disconnected from the general public.