Ekushey Boi Mela
High visitors' presence marks initial days
Unlike previous years, Amar Ekushey Boi Mela has drawn larger crowds in its initial days this time, bringing smiles on publishers' face with book sales running high.
Three of the first six days being holidays, the fair witnessed a high presence of visitors and increase in sale.
Though the number of visitors was comparatively low yesterday, many visitors were seen leaving the fair premises with a number of new books in hands.
The bookstalls especially big ones like Anyaprakash, Oitijjhya, Ananya, Agami Prokashoni, and Dibya Prokash remained crowded throughout last evening.
Amjad Hossain Kajal, an executive of Oitijjhya, said a huge number of booklovers thronged the fair in the last few days. "So sale of books was also high".
He hoped that the sale would increase further after the first 15 days of the fair. “We're, however, happy with the sales of books on the first few days”.
Expecting rise in sale was also Shaharul Islam, a Dhaka University student who has been selling books of Dibya Prokash temporarily during the book fair for the last four years.
Mohammad Alauddin, manager of Jagriti Prokashoni, expressed his satisfaction over the environment of the fair and his happiness for increase in sale this year.
At the fair premises, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Benazir Ahmed said police are working to ensure security of the visitors and will work till the end of the fair.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday inaugurated a stall of National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) with a view to disseminating information about the National Education Policy 2010.
“We brought the national policy to the Ekushey Boi Mela so that people can easily collect it and be informed”, he said.
Poet Asad Chowdhry, who sees significant changes in the book fair over the years, told The Daily Star that a good sign of the fair is that young people are buying books more.
But it is a matter of regret that young writers fail to catch the attention of publishers, even after writing well, he added.
A total of 102 new titles hit the fair yesterday compared to 171 new books on Sunday.
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