Bangla Academy finally backed out of its decision to introduce ticket system at the month-long Ekushey Book Fair beginning Friday.
On Monday, the academy announced that no entry fee will be charged from the visitors.
Earlier, the authorities decided to charge each visitor Tk 2 as entry fee for the first time. It also planned to introduce a Tk 50 season ticket for the fair. Academy officials said that it was just experimental and it would keep the unwanted elements out of the fairground who often create nuisance inside.
Academy officials hoped to earn around Tk 20 lakh from the ticket sell and said that they had planned to use all the proceeds to establish a fund for research and publication.
However, the decision raised eyebrows among a number of activists and citizens. Since its inception in 1972 the fair was all through a free-for-all event.
They said that charging entry fee at the Ekushey book fair goes against the real spirit of the book fair. They also alleged that the move is to gradually commercialise the national event.
The academy authorities however said, they changed their mind following requests from different quarters.
Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the fair at 3:00pm on February 1.