The month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela begins in the capital today amid foolproof security.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the book fair on the Bangla Academy premises at 3pm.
British poet and Jibanananda translator Joe Winter and Czech Republic writer-researcher Ribek Martin will be present at the programme as distinguished guests while Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor as a special guest.
The Bangla Academy Award will also be distributed at the opening ceremony.
The theme of this year’s fair is the diamond jubilee of Bangla Academy, marking the 60 years of the institution.
There will be a seminar at the main stage of the fair at 4pm every day from tomorrow until February 29.
Like the previous year, the venue of the fair has been extended to the nearby Suhrawardy Udyan.
The authorities have allotted a total of 651 units – 111 at the Bangla Academy ground to 82 organisatons and 540 at Suhrawardy Udyan to 320 organisations.
Besides, 15 pavilions have been allocated for 14 publishing houses, including Bangla Academy.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has taken all-out security measures in and around the book fair venue to avert any unpleasant incident in the upcoming fair.
A four-tier security has been arranged on the occasion.
There will be enough lighting in and around the fair venue as the spot where blogger Avijit Roy was killed last year had the shadows of darkness.
Special security will be provided to writers, bloggers and publishers if they feel insecure during the book fair, said DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia on Sunday.
“We have changed this year’s security system in the wake of previous incidents. There will be enough light in and around the book fair for security reasons,” he told a press briefing about the fair security at DMP Media Centre.