The Amar Ekushey Book Fair faced a significant downturn in 2021 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. While there was a gradual recovery in book sales in the following years, sales have once again plummeted this year, causing uncertainty among publishers.
An examination of sales data from the past decade reveals notable fluctuations in the book fair market. Sales experienced a consistent increase for several years before the pandemic.
In 2020, just before the pandemic hit the country, book sales at the fair exceeded Tk 80 crore. However, a year later, this figure dropped drastically to a mere Tk 3 crore.
In subsequent years, the market exhibited signs of improvement, with sales reaching as high as Tk 60 crore at the 2024 fair. Nevertheless, this year’s fair, which had a shortened duration due to political events, has dampened publishers’ spirits with poor sales.
CONSISTENT GROWTH FOLLOWED BY A SHARP DECLINE
According to the Bangla Academy, book sales at the fair showed a steady increase between 2017 and 2020.
In 2017, books valued at approximately Tk 65 crore were sold, averaging about Tk 2.32 crore in daily sales. Sales rose to around Tk 70 crore in 2018, with daily average sales of Tk 2.50 crore.
In 2019, sales continued to climb to about Tk 79 crore, with an average daily sales figure of Tk 2.63 crore. The peak occurred in 2020 when total sales reached about Tk 82 crore. Throughout that year’s 27-day fair, the daily average sales were about Tk 3.03 crore, the highest in the past decade.
“The growth during that period was attributed to the release of new books by popular authors, a strong reader turnout, and the expansion of the fairgrounds,” noted Mazharul Islam, the chief executive of Annyaprakash, in a statement to The Daily Star.
The landscape changed significantly in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In that year, the fair commenced on March 18 instead of the usual February 1 start date. Despite being scheduled for 28 days, the worsening pandemic conditions led to a 26-day fair duration.
Total sales plummeted to just Tk 3 crore, resulting in an average daily sales figure of only Tk 11 lakh, the lowest in recent times.
Reflecting on the 2021 fair, Osman Gani, the head of Agamee Prokashani, highlighted, “The limited number of visitors and the fear of infection among many significantly reduced book sales.”
UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING RECOVERY
Following the gradual normalization post-pandemic, book sales started showing signs of recovery.
In 2022, books worth around Tk 52 crore were sold during the 31-day fair, with an average daily sales amounting to Tk 1.67 crore.
In 2023, total sales slightly declined to approximately Tk 47 crore, while the daily average remained nearly constant at Tk 1.68 crore.
Sales experienced an upturn in 2024 to about Tk 60 crore, with average daily sales hovering around Tk 1.93 crore.
However, this upward trajectory was short-lived.
In 2025, overall book sales dropped to about Tk 40 crore, with daily average sales at approximately Tk 1.42 crore.
The decline in book sales was stark in 2026. Throughout the 18-day fair, total sales amounted to roughly Tk 17 crore, translating to an average daily sales figure of about Tk 1 crore.
“The 2025 fair witnessed about a 60 percent decrease in book sales compared to the previous year due to political and economic uncertainties. This trend has escalated this year,” stated Mahrukh Mohiuddin, the managing director of The University Press Limited.
Mahbubur Rahman, the chief executive of Adarsha Prokashani, expressed, “This year’s fair was
