Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is at the Bangla Academy to inaugurate the month-long Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela (Book Fair).

Indian poet Shankha Ghosh and Egyptian writer and poet Mohsin Al Arishi will grace the opening ceremony which will be also attended by State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid as a special guest on Friday (Feb 1).

Bangla Academy Director General poet Habibullah Siraji will deliver the welcome speech in the ceremony, to be chaired by its President Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to present Bangla Academy Sahitya Puraskar (Literary Awards) at the ceremony.

The theme for this year’s Ekushey book fair is "Bijoy: 1952 to 1971 Naboporjay", said Bangla Academy officials.

The fair, like every other year, will end on Feb 28 and will remain open from 3pm to 9pm every day except for weekly holiday when it will remain open from 11am to 9pm.

On Feb 21, International Mother Language Day, the book fair will remain open from 8am to 8pm.