Staff Reporter :
Country’s publishers expressed grave concern over the printing and sale of books for Amar Ekushey Boi Mela-2015 due to the ongoing non-stop blockade programme called by Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led 20-party alliance.
Although the month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela begins on Sunday (February 1), most of the publishers have failed to complete the printing of books as they did not get supply of papers on time from different places of the country due to the blockade.
The publishers also are worried over the sale of their books if the non-stop blockade continues during the Mela period.
“As we failed to get sufficient papers for printing books, we couldn’t publish the desired number of books for Amar Ekushey Boi Mela. It is very unfortunate for us that we will not be able to attend the Boi Mela with our desired number of books,” Alamgir Rahman, a publisher of Mawla Prokashoni told The New Nation.
Besides, he added that other raw materials relating to printing books were not available in capital Dhaka as these materials are supplied from different places of the country. “As the movement of goods-laden transports remained almost suspended since January 5 and the capital Dhaka has been all but cut off from the rest of the country due to the blockade, we didn’t get sufficient raw materials,” he mentioned.
Meanwhile, Bangla Academy authorities have taken an all-out preparation to arrange the month-long ‘Amar Ekushey Book Fair’ with an increased number of participating publishers.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the book fair at 3:00 pm on February 1.
However, the Bangla Academy hoped that this year’s book fair will be the largest ever gathering of booklovers and there will be increased number of participating publishers as the venue of the fair has been extended up to Suhrawardy Udyan.
This year, the government institutions and organisations will set up their stalls on the Bangla Academy premises while all the publishing houses will set up their stalls at Suhrawardy Udyan.
The authorities have allotted 262 stalls to publishers in three categories — 131 for single unit, 83 for double unit, and 48 for triple unit — out of 320 applications received from the interested publishers.
About 100 new books will come out from the Bangla Academy book stall alone, Bangla Academy sources said.
Close Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras will be installed at different points of the book fair. A temporary police camp will be set up in the fair while police, Rab and plainclothes law enforcers will be deployed at the fair venue, added the sources.
Moshtak Raihan, a publisher, Adigonto Prokashona Publishing House, Jugal Sarkar, Proprietor of Children Books Center and G.S. Sagar of Ronginphool Prokashona told The New Nation that about 20 per cent of the books have not been able to be published in due time because of the prevailing political crisis in the nation.
The publishers said that some 1000 new books would be available in the fair. Bangla Academy Director General Dr Shamsuzzaman Khan said that some changes have been brought in this year’s book fair.
“This year’s the fair will have pavilions where both the writers and the readers will be able to discuss on issues relating to books and other relevant issues for the first time,” he added.
Besides the Bangla Academy, University Press Limited, Anyaprokash, Agami Prokashani, Anupam Prokashani, Samoy Prokashan, Kakoli Prokashani, Maula Brothers, Sahitya Prokash and Pathok Samabesh will have pavilions in the fair.
Shamsuzzaman Khan said the “2nd International Literary Conference” will be held in the fair marking the 60th anniversary of the Bangla Academy. Forty-one poets and litterateurs from 11 foreign countries, including the US, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Malaysia and India will join the conference.
A month-long drama festival will be held at the open stage at the Suhrawardi Udyan during the book fair.
The Bangla Academy DG said that a total of 541 stalls have been allotted to different publication companies, including 230 creative publication houses, 18 government organizations and a number of NGOs. The whole fair premises will be under the watch of RAB, police and Ansar. There will be 60 close-circuit cameras in the fair.
Country’s publishers expressed grave concern over the printing and sale of books for Amar Ekushey Boi Mela-2015 due to the ongoing non-stop blockade programme called by Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led 20-party alliance.
Although the month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela begins on Sunday (February 1), most of the publishers have failed to complete the printing of books as they did not get supply of papers on time from different places of the country due to the blockade.
The publishers also are worried over the sale of their books if the non-stop blockade continues during the Mela period.
“As we failed to get sufficient papers for printing books, we couldn’t publish the desired number of books for Amar Ekushey Boi Mela. It is very unfortunate for us that we will not be able to attend the Boi Mela with our desired number of books,” Alamgir Rahman, a publisher of Mawla Prokashoni told The New Nation.
Besides, he added that other raw materials relating to printing books were not available in capital Dhaka as these materials are supplied from different places of the country. “As the movement of goods-laden transports remained almost suspended since January 5 and the capital Dhaka has been all but cut off from the rest of the country due to the blockade, we didn’t get sufficient raw materials,” he mentioned.
Meanwhile, Bangla Academy authorities have taken an all-out preparation to arrange the month-long ‘Amar Ekushey Book Fair’ with an increased number of participating publishers.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the book fair at 3:00 pm on February 1.
However, the Bangla Academy hoped that this year’s book fair will be the largest ever gathering of booklovers and there will be increased number of participating publishers as the venue of the fair has been extended up to Suhrawardy Udyan.
This year, the government institutions and organisations will set up their stalls on the Bangla Academy premises while all the publishing houses will set up their stalls at Suhrawardy Udyan.
The authorities have allotted 262 stalls to publishers in three categories — 131 for single unit, 83 for double unit, and 48 for triple unit — out of 320 applications received from the interested publishers.
About 100 new books will come out from the Bangla Academy book stall alone, Bangla Academy sources said.
Close Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras will be installed at different points of the book fair. A temporary police camp will be set up in the fair while police, Rab and plainclothes law enforcers will be deployed at the fair venue, added the sources.
Moshtak Raihan, a publisher, Adigonto Prokashona Publishing House, Jugal Sarkar, Proprietor of Children Books Center and G.S. Sagar of Ronginphool Prokashona told The New Nation that about 20 per cent of the books have not been able to be published in due time because of the prevailing political crisis in the nation.
The publishers said that some 1000 new books would be available in the fair. Bangla Academy Director General Dr Shamsuzzaman Khan said that some changes have been brought in this year’s book fair.
“This year’s the fair will have pavilions where both the writers and the readers will be able to discuss on issues relating to books and other relevant issues for the first time,” he added.
Besides the Bangla Academy, University Press Limited, Anyaprokash, Agami Prokashani, Anupam Prokashani, Samoy Prokashan, Kakoli Prokashani, Maula Brothers, Sahitya Prokash and Pathok Samabesh will have pavilions in the fair.
Shamsuzzaman Khan said the “2nd International Literary Conference” will be held in the fair marking the 60th anniversary of the Bangla Academy. Forty-one poets and litterateurs from 11 foreign countries, including the US, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Malaysia and India will join the conference.
A month-long drama festival will be held at the open stage at the Suhrawardi Udyan during the book fair.
The Bangla Academy DG said that a total of 541 stalls have been allotted to different publication companies, including 230 creative publication houses, 18 government organizations and a number of NGOs. The whole fair premises will be under the watch of RAB, police and Ansar. There will be 60 close-circuit cameras in the fair.
