KHULNA, Feb 1: A month-long Ekushey Book Fair began on the Divisional Public Library premises in the city on Thursday.
The theme of this years book fair is "Poro Boi, Goro Desh: Bangabandhur Bangladesh".
City Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque inaugurated the fair as the chief guest while Divisional Commissioner Md Helal Mahmud Sharif presided over it.
District administration in cooperation with Khulna Public Library arranged the book fair.
At the inaugural function, Mayor said, without literacy a nation cannot uphold its culture and history. Such a book fair will help this generation be familiar with the spirit of Language Movement and Liberation War, he added.
He further said, in keeping pace with the modern world, the government has made a change in our curriculum. Side by side with study, students have to go ahead along with technical knowledge, he maintained.
"Due to the lack of fancy and imagination power, we do not find poets and writers like Kazi Nazrul Islam," he added.
Special security measures were taken at the venue where seminar, discussion, publication ceremony and cultural programmes will be held every day.
A total of 100 stalls have been installed at the fair. Besides, six stalls for food items, one for writers and one for journalists have also been set up.
The fair remains open for all from 3pm to 10pm every day except holiday. It will also open from 10am to 10pm on holiday.
Painting competition, poem recitation for children and cultural programmes will be held on separate themes during the fair every evening, Rahman said, adding that smoking in the book fair has been prohibited.
Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner (KMP) Md Mozammel Haque, deputy commissioner Khondokar Yasir Arefin, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Saidur Rahman, Freedom Fighter Professor Md Alamgir Kabir and Head of Corporate Affairs at Robi Axiata Limited Sharif Shah Jamal Raj, spoke as special guests at the function.
Principal of Azam Khan Government Commerce College Khulna Professor Kartick Chandra Mondal was present as discussant.
