Country’s biggest book bonanza picks up

The much-awaited Ekushey Boi Mela has finally kicked off on Thursday demonstrating the countrys unique cultural identity.  The month-long tradition, a symbol of our nationhood and torch bearer of our cultural-identity is celebrated with much fanfare honouring sacrifices of countrys jewel students to establish their mother tongue during the language movement of 1952.

A total of 937 stalls have been allocated to 635 publishing houses and sellers on the book fair. Authorities concern has allotted 173 stalls to 120 organisations on the Bangla Academy ground and 764 stalls to 515 organisations at the Suhrawardy Udyan. A total of 37 pavilions have also been allocated this year. Last year, a total of 901 stalls were allocated in favour of 601 publishing houses and organisations.

However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair at the Bangla Academy premises. In her inaugurating speech she urged publishers to publish books in digital mediums in addition to usual paperback and hard cover editions sold at the fair.
Unquestionably, publishers will have a wider scope to reach a larger audience once they start to publish e-books or translate Bangla books into other languages.

Growing number of participants and customers also invites a bigger responsibility - ensuring security. We appreciate Bangla academys pro-active approach, in terms of adopting a number of added security measures like setting up extra observation towers, boosting regular patrolling within the venue while banning hawkers from roaming about scot-free within the venue premises.

Since its inception in an informal way in 1972 in Bangla Academy premises, Ekushey Boi Mela has become a permanent festival every year. And every year the fair has been visited enthusiastically and spontaneously revealing our inherent love for books.

Nevertheless, Boi Mela is an opportunity for publishers to showcase their publications and make good sales - and for book lovers it is to procure books by their favourite authors and poets as well as explore new writers and poets. The festive mood and interactions of readers, poets and writers makes this an intellectually stimulating event that is truly unique among all festivals we celebrate.

However, a book fair is a happy meeting ground for writers, readers and book lovers, where they all come together to celebrate the written and published words. It offers a wonderful opportunity to discover new writers while acknowledging the old. The new experimental writers poke daringly similar to wild orchids through foliage of a tree trunk of writers who define the orchard of classics. But what distinguishes Ekushey book fair from other international or regional book fairs is its sentimental attachment to our cultural heritage.

We hope all visitors will enjoy the Ekushey Boi Mela throughout the month of February.