Bangladesh publishers and booksellers will not participate in the 43rd Agartala Book Fair which will be held from January 2 to 14, 2025, an official said on December 27.

 Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha will inaugurate the 12-day-long book fair in West Tripura’s Badharghat fairground on January 2.

 “The lottery for distribution of stalls at the book fair is scheduled to take place on Friday. Till now, no Bangladeshi publishing house or bookseller has submitted an application for setting up stalls at the book fair venue,” Director of Information and Cultural Affairs (ICA), Bimbisar Bhattacharjee told PTI.

 However, he said publishers from Kolkata, Guwahati and Delhi will participate in this year’s book fair apart from local publishing houses.

President of Tripura Publishers’ Guild (TPG), Subabrata Deb said, “Given the situation in Bangladesh after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina, no publication house or bookseller seems to be brave enough to join the book fair at Agartala. We keep in contact with publication houses in Bangladesh but they are not in a position to join the book fair this time. As book lovers, we will miss the essence of Bangladeshi publications.” “This will be the first time in many years that Bangladeshi publishers are not participating in the book fair,” Deb added.

 He hailed the state government’s decision to advance the book fair from February-March to January this year.

“Normally Agartala book fair used to be held in February or March but this time it has been advanced to the first week of January. We oppose organising book fairs in February and March because of board examinations. I hope this time, students will get a fair chance to visit the book fair due to advancement in the book fair schedule”, he said.

 Eminent writer Nandita Roy said, “It is natural that Bangladesh publishers are most unlikely to participate in the Agartala book fair because of their internal problem. Besides, visa problems are also there. I heard that they are also not going to join the Kolkata book fair. We will miss literary masterpieces of Bangladeshi publishing houses as well as research-based books which have good demand in Tripura. Last year, they had joined the book fair”.

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