The Amar Ekushey book fair has been postponed by the government amid rising cases of Covid-19 across the country.

The annual month-long event, which starts on February 1 every year, has been postponed for two weeks, according to media reports.

"It has been postponed for at least two weeks. We are yet to finalise a new date for the fair. An announcement will be made soon," Cultural Affairs Ministry spokesperson Faisal Hasan told the media.

The book fair was also delayed by a month and a half last year to avoid the risks of Covid-19 infections.

Later, the fair began on March 18 at the Bangla Academy premises and the adjacent venue at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.

The spread of the new omicron variant of the disease stoked fears of more infections and has led to the Bangladesh government announcing several new restrictions. -Dhaka Tribune