The traditional Ekushey Book fair is going on in full swing attracting a large number of visitors at Bangla Academy premises and the adjacent extended venue of Suhrawardi Udyan.
Bangla Academy has been organising the annual event since 1978 in commemoration of the language movement heroes of 1952.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the month-long Ekushey Book Fair on Bangla Academy premises on February 1.
Terming the Ekushey Book Fair a source of inspiration for Bengali people, the premier said, the fair has an important role in flourishing the thoughts of the writers, publishers and new generations by giving them right direction.
The premier also handed over Bangla Academy Literature Awards along with honourarium and crests to 11 personalities for their contributions in nine categories.
The recipients are Helal Hafiz, Purabi Basu, Mafidul Haque, Jamil Chowdhury, Prabhangshu Tripura, Kaiser Haque, Harun Habib, Mahfuzur Rahman, Shahidul Islam, Kaizer Chowdhury and Aslam Sani.
They were awarded with a cheque for one-lakh taka each, crests and certificates. The internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi mime artiste Partha Pratim Majumder will be awarded honorary fellowship on the occasion.
This year the Amar Ekushey Book Fair has been dedicated to the late eminent jurist and former chief justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman, also language hero and former chief adviser of a caretaker government.
According to organisers, about 300 publishing houses, government, non-government, autonomous organisations and socio-cultural bodies are participating in the book fair this year.
The fair venue has been divided into 10 squares named after Language Martyrs square, Rabindra, Nazrul, Abul Karim Sahitya Bisharod, Dr Muhammad Sahidullah, Somen Chandraw, Begum Rokeya, Sufia Kamal, Dhirendranath Datta and Rafiqual Islam squares.
A corner for the children has also been decorated in front of Nazrul Mancha.
Besides Nazrul Mancha, where new titles are unveiled, several corners have been dedicated to language martyrs like previous years. Several private television channels will telecast the fair live every day.
This year the month-long discussions and cultural functions at the main stage of the fair is scheduled to highlight the life and works of scholars in Bengali literature, national and political issues and development.
The academy will provide a 30 percent discount while other publishers 25 percent on the prices of their books. Wi-fi facilities will be available in the fair.
The book fair will remain open to the visitors between 3:00pm and 9:00pm every day and from 11:00am to 9:00am on holidays. On February 21, the fair will remain open between 8:00am and 9:00pm.
Source: Weekly Holiday
