The Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh has decided to reduce stall rent for the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 by 25 percent following requests from participating publishers. Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki issued the directive, and the decision was announced in a ministry press release on Monday. The fair is scheduled to begin on February 20, 2026.

According to the statement, the decision came after a productive meeting between the cultural affairs adviser, the ministry’s secretary, and the director general of Bangla Academy. The Bangla Academy will implement the rent reduction promptly. The ministry expressed optimism that this initiative will help the fair continue as a gathering place for writers, readers, and publishers, while also encouraging book publishing and reading.

Professor Md. Azam, director general of Bangla Academy and convener of the fair’s implementation committee, said that the Bangladesh Publishers and Booksellers Association had requested to postpone the fair, but the timing could not be changed due to possible rain and other issues. Therefore, the rent reduction was approved to support publishers and sellers.