<span style="color: #222222;">The largest book fair of Bangladesh Amar Ekushey Boi Mela was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday. The fair is being held in Dhaka at the Bangla Academy premises and the adjoining Suhrawardy Udyan. The book fair is currently scheduled to continue till Feb 28 but it is likely to be extended with the easing of the corona situation in the country and Prime Minister Hasina also asking for its extension till March 17 to coincide with the birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.<br />'' <br />'' Joining virtually from her official residence Gonobhaban, Prime Minister Hasina also gave away the prestigious literary award 'Bangla Academy Sahitya Puraskar 2021' to 15 recipients under 11 categories. On behalf of the Prime Minister, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid handed over cheques of Taka 3 lakh, a crest and a certificate to the awardees.<br />'' <br />'' Speaking on the occasion Prime Minister Hasina called for extending the cultural and literary activities at the district level. She said that increasing the cultural programmes and discussions on literature will bring to light many talented poets, artists and litterateurs from different regions of Bangladesh. It will also help in enhancing the interest of the young generation in Bangladesh, its language, literature and culture, said the Prime Minister.<br />'' <br />'' The book fair is being held amid tight security arrangements to avoid any untoward event. The entire area of the book fair is covered under CCTV surveillance with strict control over the movement of vehicles near the book fair venue. More than 770 stalls have been set up across the two venues of the book fair.<br />''<br />''The month-long book fair started in 1972 to commemorate the sacrifices of people killed by Pakistani forces on 21 February 1952 demanding Bangla as the mother language for the then East Pakistan. It has been organised every year by the Bangla Academy since 1978. </span>