Book sales in Bangladesh have dropped by about 50% over the past two months due to recent socio-political unrest, including student-led protests. Contributing factors include rising inflation, reduced purchasing power, the closure of educational institutions, and flooding. Publishers remain cautiously optimistic about a recovery in the next three months if conditions stabilize. Moin Mursalin of Protiva Prokash reported a significant decline in both monthly and online sales. Afzal Hossain of Anindya Prokash noted a 60% reduction in sales and a shift in demand from fiction to Islamic books.
Shaymol Pal, vice president of the Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association, attributed the sales drop to political instability and school closures, with an average decline of 50%. Additionally, the printing of New Year’s textbooks has been temporarily halted due to expected curriculum changes. The publishing sector, which includes around 26,000 members and supports about 2 million people, has suffered losses exceeding Tk3,000 crore from the pandemic. The annual transaction value of the sector is approximately Tk12,000 crore.
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