Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will confer the Ekushey Padak-2026 and inaugurate the Amar Ekushey Book Fair at separate ceremonies on 26 February, marking two major cultural events in the national calendar.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the award ceremony will be held at 11am at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital, where the Prime Minister will present the country’s second-highest civilian honour to nine distinguished individuals and one music band in recognition of their outstanding contributions in various fields.
The government has already announced the recipients.
This year’s recipients are: Farida Akhtar Babita (Film), Professor Md Abdus Sattar (Fine Arts), Marina Tabassum (Architecture), Ayub Bachchu (Music), Arthy Ahmed (Dance), Islam Uddin Palakar (Palagan), Shafik Rehman (Journalism), Professor Dr Mahbubul Alam Majumdar (Education), Tejosh Haldar Josh (Sculpture) and the band Warfaze (Music).
Later in the afternoon, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Amar Ekushey Book Fair on the Bangla Academy premises as the chief guest.
Organisers said preparations for both events have been completed.
This year, the government has fully waived stall fees for all participating publishing houses at the book fair, a decision welcomed by publishers as a supportive measure for the industry.
The Ekushey Padak recognises exceptional achievements across sectors including culture, education and social service, while the book fair remains one of the country’s largest annual literary gatherings, drawing writers, publishers and readers from across Bangladesh.
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