[1][2] Organised annually in February by Bangla Academy in Dhaka, the month-long event is free to all.

Usually the Prime Minister (or the Chief Adviser in case of caretaker government) inaugurates the fair.

On 21 February 1972, Chittaranjan Saha, owner of Muktadhara publishing house started a one-day sale of about 33 books on a mat on Bangla Academy premises on Language Movement Day.

The number of visitors increased gradually each year, leading Bangla Academy to officially take charge of the fair in 1978.

In 1979, a book fair was held in the Bangla Academy courtyard in collaboration with the Bangladesh Publishers and Booksellers Association.

As the fair gained wider acceptance, it was further extended to span the entire month of February.

[9] On 27 February 2004, author and professor Humayun Azad was attacked and fatally injured by members of the militant group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh as he was leaving the book fair.

[12] In 2014, the book fair was extended to the nearby Suhrawardy Udyan, in addition to Bangla Academy, due to the increasing number of publishers.

A sudden spike in the COVID-19 cases put the risk of organizing 2022 Ekushey Book Fair.

With strict mask-wearing policy, the Boi Mela was organized and was much more successful compared to the previous year.

The Chief Adviser ordered the perpetrators to be brought under the law and instructed the police and Bangla Academy to strengthen security at the fair.