📚 What Is the History of Boi Mela? | Amar Ekushey Book Fair History
📖 Introduction
The history of Amar Ekushey Book Fair (অমর একুশে বইমেলা) is deeply connected to the Language Movement of Bangladesh. It is not just a book fair — it is a cultural movement that celebrates the Bengali language, literature, and national identity.
Every year, the fair is organized by Bangla Academy in Dhaka during the month of February.
🕰️ The Beginning of Boi Mela (1972)
The origin of Ekushey Boi Mela dates back to 1972, just after the independence of Bangladesh.
A publisher named Chittaranjan Saha started selling books on a small table in front of Bangla Academy.
He displayed books published by his publishing house, Muktodhara.
This small initiative gradually inspired other publishers to join.
This humble beginning became the foundation of today’s largest book fair in Bangladesh.
🏛️ Official Recognition (1979)
In 1979, Bangla Academy officially took responsibility for organizing the fair. From then on:
The fair became structured and organized.
More publishers started participating.
The fair was named “Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela”, later known as Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
Since then, it has been held every February in remembrance of the martyrs of the Language Movement.
🌍 Why February?
The fair is held in February to honor the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement.
On 21 February 1952, students sacrificed their lives demanding that Bangla be recognized as a state language. Later, UNESCO declared 21 February as International Mother Language Day.
Because of this historic event, the book fair became a symbol of:
Language pride
Cultural identity
Literary freedom
📍 Location of the Fair
Traditionally, the fair is held at:
Bangla Academy premises
Adjacent Suhrawardy Udyan
Both are located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Over the years, the fair expanded to Suhrawardy Udyan due to increasing publishers and visitors.
📈 Growth Over the Years
Today, Amar Ekushey Book Fair is:
The largest book fair in Bangladesh
One of the biggest cultural events in South Asia
A platform for:
New book launches
Literary discussions
Cultural programs
Award ceremonies
Hundreds of publishers and thousands of new books are introduced every year.