Bangladesh barred from participating in Kolkata Book Fair again

Bangla Press Desk:  Bangladeshi publishers will not be able to participate in the International Kolkata Book Fair this year either, with organisers refusing to allow Bangladesh to join the event.

This marks the second consecutive year that there will be no Bangladesh pavilion at the fair.

In previous years, a large number of Bangladeshi publishers regularly took part in the Kolkata Book Fair, which drew huge crowds and saw strong sales of books by Bangladeshi authors.

However, following the 2024 July Uprising and the formation of an interim government, Bangladesh was not represented at the fair last year. It will remain absent this year as well.

General Secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, organiser of the fair, Tridib Chatterjee, said, “Bangladesh showed interest in joining the fair this year. But we are the ones who are not allowing them to participate.”

Sources at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata also confirmed that interest had been expressed in taking part in this year’s book fair.

Explaining the decision, Tridib Chatterjee said the Guild could not grant Bangladesh permission to participate without a green signal from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, given the current state of bilateral relations.

Tridib said, “Considering the present India–Bangladesh relations, the Guild cannot clear Bangladesh’s participation without approval from the Indian foreign ministry. That approval has not come, so Bangladesh will not be present at the fair. However, we have no objection if Bangladeshi books are displayed at any individual stall here.”

He also said that the United States, another regular participant, will not take part in this year’s fair due to a lack of budget allocation.

At the same time, Ukraine will be participating in the Kolkata Book Fair for the first time, while China will return with its pavilion after 15 years.

Argentina has been named the theme country for this year’s fair. A total of 21 countries and more than 1,000 publishers from West Bengal and different parts of India will set up stalls.

The 49th International Kolkata Book Fair is scheduled to begin on 22 January.

It is regarded as the world’s largest non-commercial book fair, where ordinary readers, rather than commercial institutions, purchase books. It is also considered the world’s largest book fair in terms of visitor turnout.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the fair at the permanent Book Fair Ground in Salt Lake, Kolkata.