Two thousand and seven hundred ninety-nine new books arrived on the Amar Ekushey Book fair till Wednesday.
Highest 700 books of Poems came to the fair, while computer and politics remained the lowest with 12 books on computer and 13 on politics so far in the month long fair.
Novels are the best sales, for the readers, particularly the young ones, like reading those.
Humayun Ahmed remained on the top of all. Anya stall alone sold 80 novels of the writer on a single day. Alamgir Rahman of Abashar Prokashan told The New Nation that the buyers’ demand for Humayun Ahmed remained unchanged.
Shamsul Kabir Rahat, a Dhaka University student, said, his favourite writer is Humayun Ahmed. There are both lessons and humour in his writings.
The second highest book is dictionary published by Bangla Academy. Hundred of copies of the dictionary have been sold till yesterday. The Bangla Academy is expecting Tk 1 crore as sale proceeds this time.
Mizanur Rahman, an official of Bangla Academy told The New Nation that the demand for the English to Bengali and Bengali to English dictionary exceeded all the previous records.
Md Bahalul, a organizer of an social welfare organization, sold fifty dictionary and two hundred novels of Humayun and others from his organisation’s library.
The new books arriving till yesterday are 380 story books, 190 articles, 700 poems, 200 children books, 85 biographies, 55 on Liberation War, 35 dramas, 40 on science, 65 on travel, 25 on medical science, 12 on computer, 35 on religion, 27 translations, 500 novels and 450 on other subjects.
Meanwhile, one hundred and seven new books arrived on Wednesday, the 26th day of the fair. Fourteen books were also unveiled on the Nazrul Mancha on the Bangla Academy premises yesterday.
Discussion on “Biswa Oitiya Hishebe Jamdani” was held on the main podium of the fair on Wednesday. Dr Niaz Jaman presided over the discussion while Dr Firoz Mahmud presented the keynote paper.
Rubi Gajnabi, Bibi Russell and Shaon Akand discussed at the programme. A fascinating cultural festival was held, attended by Salma Akber, Salauddin Ahmed, Chanchal Khan, Farhana Chowdhury Tania, Makbul Hossain, Abida Rahman Setu and Sarwar Hossain Babu.
A prize giving ceremony for the expatriate writers will be held on the main stage of the fair today. The winners are Ishaq Kazol, Golam Abu Jakaria and Faruque Ahmed. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon will be present as the chief guest while Bangla Academy President Professor Emirates Anisuzzaman will preside at the function. Bangla Academy Director General Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan will deliver maiden speech.
