Joynal Abedin Khan :The month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela begins today (Monday) on the Bangla Academy and the Suhrawardy Udyan premises amid the unprecedented four-tier security measures following a widespread anxiety of terror attack on free-thinkers.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the programme at the main venue of the academy premises at 3:00pm.The Prime Minister will hand over Bangla Academy Literary Award 2015 at the inaugural ceremony on the day, Bangla Academy Director General Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan told The New Nation on Sunday afternoon. The award recipients are-Altaf Hossain (poetry), Shaheen Akhtar (fiction), Abdul Momen and Dr Atiur Rahman (jointly for essay), Moniruzzaman (research), Abdus Selim (translation), Tajul Mohammad (literature on Liberation War), Faruk Chowdhury (biography and travelogue), Masum Reza (drama), Sharif Khan (science, technology and environment) and Sujan Barua (juvenile literature).A copy of the newly edited ‘Adhunik Bangla Ovidhan’ published by Bangla Academy will be handed over to the premier, the DG said. British poet Joe Winter who translated the poetry of Jibanananda Das, African writer Martin Reback and Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduz-zaman Noor will be present on the occasion, among others. The academy will also unveil the Braille and audio version of the book titled ‘Bangabandhu Birgatha’ written by Sayed Shamsul Hoque, said Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan. The theme of the incumbent year of the Boi Mela is ‘Diamond Jubilee of Bangla Academy’, Jalal Ahmed, Member Secretary of the Boi Mela organising committee, told The New Nation on Sunday afternoon. Jalal Ahmed said that the academy authorities have taken all-out measures to make the mela a success. The mela will remain open for all from 3:00pm to 8:00pm on the working days while 11:00am to 8:00pm on holidays, he said. A total of 651 stalls have been allocated to 402 organisations this year. Of them, 82 organisations got 111 stalls on the academy premises while 320 organisations got 540 stalls at Suhrawardy Udyan. This year the Suhrawardy Udyan ground of the fair has been divided into 15 parts, which are named after 15 prominent personalities. They are language martyrs Abul Barkat, Abdus Salam, Shafiur Rahman, Rafiq Uddin Ahmad, Abdul Jabbar, martyred intellectuals Monir Chowdhury, Munier Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta, Altaf Mahmud, Sirajuddin Hossen, Dr Alim Chowdhury, Selina Parvin, writer Sajedul Karim, Habibur Rahman, Foyez Ahmad and Rokonuzzaman Khan Dada Bhai.A corner of little magazine will be set up in the southern part of the academy premises.Children’s corner, which used to be set up inside the Bangla Academy, has been shifted to Suhrawardy Udyan this year. The month-long fair will also feature special day ‘Sishu Prahar’ to give special opportunity to the kids.New books will be unveiled at the Nazrul Mancha while discussion and cultural programmes will be held at the main stage during the month-long mela. Two media centres, an information centre and Lekhok Adda will also be established at the fair.The publishers will sell their books with 25 percent commission while Bangla Academy books will be sold with 30 percent commission. On the other hand, the 3rd day of the Boi Mela will feature an International Poetry Festival with the presence of poets from both home and abroad, including Slovakia, Morocco, Sweden, Taiwan, UK and India.Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia categorically said that they have taken four-tier security measures to avert any untoward situation during the Boi Mela.The DMP boss came up with the information while briefing journalists about the security of the mela at DMP media centre on Sunday morning.Assaduzzaman Mia said, “Based on previous experiences of killing of blogger Avijit Roy and other attacks, the law enforcers will work to ensure the security of visitors during the Boi Mela.””We have list of bloggers and we are ensuring security for them. Despite having the steps, if any bloggers feel insecure, we will arrange special security for him as well,” said the DMP Commissioner.He also mentioned that the road in front of Bangla Academy where blogger Avijit Roy was killed last year was not adequately lighted.We have requested Dhaka University and the concerned city corporation authorities to provide adequate lighting in and around the Boi Mela premises, the DMP boss said. Special safeguard teams of police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansar and intelligence agencies will be deployed in and around the venue and its adjacent areas, he said. Some 250 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed in and around the venue of the mela which is nearly four times the number of CCTV cameras from last year, the DMP Commissioner said. “Besides these, walk-through metal detectors and watch towers will also be set up in the area for security and surveillance. There will be nine watch towers, from which we will monitor the area round-the-clock,” he further said.The law enforcing agencies will control traffic movement from Suhrawardy Udyan via Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University to Doyel Chattar intersection during the month-long Boi Mela.
