The International Kolkata Book Fair will begin January 22 without Bangladeshi publishers for the second consecutive year, as organizers have decided not to include a Bangladesh pavilion—an absence that has stirred debate in literary and publishing communities in both Bengals.
Meanwhile, organizers have said that the United States will also not participate in this year’s book fair due to the absence of budget allocation. On the other hand, Ukraine will be participating for the first time, and China will return with a pavilion after 15 years. Argentina has been selected as the theme country for this year’s fair.
Tridib Chatterjee, General Secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild—the organizer of the Kolkata Book Fair—said that although Bangladesh had shown interest in participating this year, the organizers did not respond positively.
He added that, given the present state of India–Bangladesh relations, participation by Bangladesh cannot be approved without a green signal from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
However, he noted that the Guild has no objection if Bangladeshi books are sold at Indian stalls.
Bangladeshi publishers had long been a fixture at the Kolkata Book Fair, drawing readers with new releases and cultural exchange. Their absence, which began after political unrest in mid-2024, continues for a second consecutive year.
Sources at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata have confirmed that interest was expressed in participating in this year’s fair, but the initiative could not be realized due to the lack of final approval from the organizers.
The 49th Kolkata International Book Fair will ground in Salt Lake. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the fair. According to the organizers, publishers from 21 countries and more than a thousand publishers from different Indian states will take part.
Known as the world’s largest non-commercial book fair—where the participation of general readers is the main attraction alongside publishers—the absence of Bangladesh is undoubtedly creating a sense of emptiness among literature lovers on both sides of the border.