Staff Reporter :
Ekushey Book Fair, the national book fair of Bangladesh, a yearly event of booklovers and publishers, began on the Bangla Academy premises and adjoining Suhrawardy Udyan in the city on Tuesday.
The main theme of the Book Fair-2022 is “Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Golden Jubilee of Country’s Independence.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2022 on the Bangla Academy premises joining virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in the afternoon.
The month-long Ekushey Book Fair is the national book fair of Bangladesh, which is arranged every year during the month of February in Dhaka. Normally book fair is opened first day of February, but, this year’s Book Fair has been reduced to 15-day and delayed due to the recent surge of Covid-19 cases.
This event is arranged to commemorate the historic language movement of 21 February 1952 for the establishment of Bangla as the mother language.
A total of 776 stalls have been allocated to 534 organisations, Kutub Uddin Azad, Deputy Director of Bangla Academy told The New Nation adding that the authorities have allotted 142 stalls to 102 organisations at the Bangla Academy ground and 634 stalls to 432 organisations at the Suhrawardy Udyan. Last year, a total of 834 stalls were allocated in favour of 540 organisations, he added.
He further said the duration of the fair could be extended if the Coronavirus situation improves.
Bangla Academy usually starts preparations for the Book Fair from December and the allotment of stalls from January. Due to the worsening pandemic situation, the schedule was disrupted and as a result many authors and publications houses failed to take proper preparation for the fair.
According to the schedule, the Book Fair will be held from February 15 to February 28 and will remain open from 2:00pm to 9:00pm for visitors. On weekends and public holidays, the fair will open at 11:00am and the only exception will be on 21 February, when it will open at 8:00am.
This time the fair will be held in an area of 7.5 lakh square feet with a separate stage for children. They will be able to play sports following hygiene rules. There is also a separate stage for unveiling new books.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also distributed the Bangla Academy Sahitya Puroshkar-2021 (Bangla Academy Literature Award) at the opening ceremony.
On behalf of the prime minister, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid handed over the awards to the recipients and spoke at the function.
Cultural Affairs Secretary MdAbul Mansur spoke on the occasion with Bangla Academy President writer Selina Hossain in the chair.
Bangla Academy Director General poet Mohammad Nurul Huda delivered the welcome speech.
The award recipients for 2021 are – Asad Mannan, Bimal Guha (Poetry); Jharna Rahman, Bishwajit Chowdhury (Literature); Hosenuddin Hossain (Essay/Research); Aminur Rahman, Rafik-um-Munir Chowhdhury (Translation); Sadhana Ahmed (Drama); Rafikur Rashid (Children’s Literature); Panna Kaiser (Liberation War related research); Harun-ur-Rashid (Bangabandhu related research); Shubhagata Chowdhury (Science Fiction/Environmental Science), Sufia Khatun, Haider Akbar Khan Rano (Autobiography/Travelogue) and Aminur Rahman Sultan (Folklore).
Each received a cheque of Tk 3 lakh and crest. Bangla Academy Sahitya Puroshkar is given by the Bangla Academy in recognition to advancement and overall contribution to the field of Bengali language and literature.
Moreover, a total of 35 pavilions have been allocated this year. Apart from this, there are 127 stalls at Little Magazine Chattar, which was 140 in 2021, 155 in 2020.
Alongside all the necessary health precautions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there are strict security arrangements in and around the venue to prevent any unpleasant incidents.
The traditional Amar Ekushey Book Fair began informally in 1972 on the Bangla Academy premises. Later, the academy officially took the responsibility to arrange the fair every year.
