Abir Rayhan :
The month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela-2016 began on the Bangla Academy premises and in a portion of Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital amid tight security on Monday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the country’s largest book festival, commemorating the Language Movement of 1952. She later visited several stalls on the fair premises after the formal inauguration.
As soon as the Prime Minister left the fair venue, people from all walks of life, especially students and young men and women, started thronging Bangla Academy premises.
The whole area of Dhaka University campus, particularly Curzon Hall, TSC and Suhrawardy Udyan, wore a festive mood as booklovers thronged the venue to collect new books.
Many people became happy soon after getting new books. Many of them were seen smelling the books as their favourite writers have written those.
“I am very happy because I have waited for the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela. I always buy many books from the Mela. I have also bought two books on the opening day,” Nabila Akhter, a student of Economics Department of Dhaka University, told The New Nation on Monday.
The authorities have allotted a total of 651 stalls – 111 at the Bangla Academy ground to 82 organisatons and 540 at Suhrawardy Udyan to 320 organisations.
Besides, 15 pavilions have been allocated for 14 publishing houses, including Bangla Academy. Many of the publishers were seen to prepare their stalls to attract the book lovers.
Nasir Uddin Ahmed Selim, Publisher of Kakoli Prokashoni, told The New Nation that this year’s Boi Mela would be fruitful as the preparations of Bangla Academy authorities and publishers are effective than the previous years.
Highest security measures have been taken in and around the venue of Ekushey Boi Mela to avert any untoward incident. Besides, arraignment of enough lighting in and around the fair venue has also been made this year. As the spot where Blogger Avijit Roy was killed last year had the shadow of darkness.
A discussion titled “Bangla Academir Hirokjoyanti: Bangla Academike Ferey Dekha” will be held on the main podium of the academy today (Tuesday) at 4:00pm.
Md Abdul Quiyum will preside over the discussion while Shafiul Alam will present the keynote paper.
Fazlay Rabbi, Azizur Rahman Aziz, Begum Akhter Kamal and Mohit Kamal will be present there as the discussants.
A fascinating cultural festival will be held in the evening.
