Ekushey Boi Mela
Bookworms savour words of encouragement
The access road to Bangla Academy premises gets thick with queues of visitors as the Amar Ekhushey Boi Mela witnesses the largest-ever crowd yesterday, being a weekly holiday, since its opening on February 1. Photo: Palash Khan
“You must write beautiful books when you grow up…then I will proudly say that I had signed an autograph on a book for you in this boi mela.” The words of encouragement came from noted writer Dr Muhammad Zafar Iqbal for a young and ardent admirer of his at Amar Ekushey Boi Mela in Bangla Academy in the city yesterday. The six-year-old child was among around a hundred others who were patiently waiting for an autograph or to take a picture with their favourite writer, who complied for hours sitting on Nazrul Mancha. Sensing the density of the crowd, the eminent educationist affectionately patted the child on the head. “Oh, I am sorry, you had to suffer a lot for me,” he said. One teenager is all smiles as he comes away from the mancha. “I am a fan of his (Zafar Iqbal). I feel very delighted as I had a long-time desire to see him in person,” said Rafsan Jani Pranto. One admirer told the professor how she had lost her mobile phone in the crowd. “I hope you will be able to buy a thousand mobile phones,” said Zafar Iqbal. After getting the autograph, the admirer, Selina, an honours student, said, “Now that I have the autograph, I no longer feel the pain of my loss.” Mentioning that mothers should read books aloud to preschool children, the noted educationist said, “Once the habit of reading books grows up, one can never come out of it.” Meanwhile, the Boi Mela yesterday, being a weekday, witnessed the largest number of visitors and book arrivals, 245 in total, since its inauguration, says the organisers and booksellers. In the morning, a children's singing competition was held followed by a documentary presentation on Bangladesh's first Everest conqueror Musa Ibrahim. Discussions and cultural programmes were held in the afternoon.
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