Dhaka: Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sazzat Ali today announced that necessary security arrangements have been planned for holding the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025 in a peaceful and festive manner. ‘Book Fair is organized by the Bangla Academy authorities every year. The Amar Ekushey Book Fair will be held at the Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises throughout the month of February. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has taken adequate security measures for this book fair,’ he said.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, he made these remarks while addressing the DMP coordination meeting on overall security, law and order, and traffic management for the upcoming book fair at the conference room of DMP Headquarters. DMP Deputy Police Commissioner (Operations) A. F. M. Tariq Hossain Khan presented the overall security plan of the book fair through a power point presentation at the start of the program.
The DMP Commissioner expressed hope that this year’s book fair will be held in an orderly environment with the cooperation and coordination of everyone. Regarding the security measures taken at the book fair, the Commissioner stated that a sufficient number of policemen in plain clothes and uniforms will be on duty inside and outside the book fair.
He further explained that necessary CCTV cameras will be installed to monitor the book fair venue around the clock, and there will be a watch tower and fire tenders to provide security. Additional measures include first aid facilities, sweeping the venues, deploying special teams in plain clothes, providing directions through billboards and banners, monitoring social media, overseeing the fair premises with drones, and keeping SWAT and bomb disposal teams on standby.
The Commissioner emphasized that every visitor will have to enter the fair premises through the archway. ‘No one will be able to enter the fair with large bags, cartons, flammable materials,’ he stated. Additionally, there will be a lost and found center, a help desk, and a childcare center at the fair.
A coordination meeting to ensure the overall security of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025 was held later, where representatives of various intelligence agencies, Book Publishers and Sellers Association, Public Works Department, Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka WASA, Bangla Academy, Fire Service, DPDC, Department of Health, Ministry of Culture, various government service organizations, and senior officials of DMP shared their opinions.