A post circulating on Facebook presents a comparative analysis of book sales over the past several years, asserting that this year recorded the lowest sales at Tk 61,65,593. However, a FactWatch investigation reveals that this figure represents only the sales of books by Bangla Academy from February 1 to 27. It does not account for the total sales from all stalls and pavilions at the fair. Furthermore, the fair’s organizing committee has yet to release any official data on the total book sales by all participating publishers. Therefore, FactWatch considers the viral claims to be misleading.
Social media posts allege that the book fair has seen a record-low number of book sales this year. To verify the claim, FactWatch conducted a keyword search for relevant data on the total sales at the fair. However, no comprehensive record of total book sales from all stalls and pavilions has been found so far. A report published on March 1, 2025, by *Kaler Kantho* discusses the decline in the number of books and sales at the fair. The report cites Dr. Sarkar Amin, Member Secretary of the Book Fair Organizing Committee, stating, “We distributed survey forms to publishers, but they have not been returned. It would not be appropriate to state a figure without confirmation.”
The claim circulating online compares this year’s sales figure of Tk 61,65,593 with previous years: Tk 6 billion in 2024, Tk 4.7 billion in 2023, Tk 5.25 billion in 2022, Tk 311 million in 2021, and Tk 8.2 billion in 2020. However, Bangla Academy’s official website reports that the institution sold books worth Tk 61,65,593 between February 1 and 27, 2025. Reports published by *Kaler Kantho* and *BDNews24* confirm that Dr. Sarkar Amin presented this data at the fair’s closing ceremony on February 28, 2025. The viral posts inaccurately compare Bangla Academy’s book sales for this year with the total sales from all stalls and pavilions in previous years.
This indicates that the total sales figure for all participating publishers at the 2025 Amar Ekushey Book Fair remains unknown. Additionally, no credible sources have yet provided such data. Considering these factors, FactWatch has identified the viral posts as misleading.
Original News Source: https://www.fact-watch.org/book-fair/
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