Last minute preparations for the book fair are underway

Due to the Omicron infection, this year's Amar Ekushey Book Fair has been delayed by two weeks and 15 days instead of one month, but ending all speculations, it is going to start on Tuesday, February 15.

The theme of this year's book fair is 'I want a Covid-free Bangladesh.

Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan were visited, cleaning is being done around the stalls in the academy section. Workers are preparing the fixed structure of bamboo, wood, board stalls. The decoration of the main venue is also almost completed.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the fair virtually that day.

Mistry Abdur Rahman is working on the construction of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics stall. He told TBS, "The construction of our stall is almost complete, we hope to finish all our work at least 8-10 hours before the start of the fair."

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Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics official Prince Sheel told TBS, "Actually, due to Omicron, our mental preparation was less due to fluctuations in the schedule, date and opening of the fair, but now we are almost able to complete everything, hopefully there will be no problem for us to start on the specified day. No."

Every year, usually in December, Bangla Academy started to prepare for the fair, in January, stalls were allotted to various publications. A few writers said that most of the writers-publishers have been delayed due to preparation as they could not start this journey as per the schedule.

Also a teenage writer Alamgir Golap. He published two poetry books consecutively from Shravan Prakashani in the last two fairs and received good response. Despite his desire, he could not publish his book in the book fair.

Alamgir told TBS, "Because Bangla Academy did not make a clear announcement from January this year due to Omicron, I thought the fair would not be held, because of which I was delayed in completing the work of publishing my essay, because there was no definite announcement, the work motivation between us was lost. The situation, it seems that the enthusiasm of the publishers-authors in the fair will be a little less during this journey, also there will be some negative impact due to the closure of schools."

Last year, 466 publishers participated in the book fair with new and old books.

When asked to know the number this year, Bangla Academy Director General Muhammad Nurul Huda told TBS, "The exact number of participating publications will be known tomorrow or the day after. As the period of the Reason Fair is 14 days, the publications have already deposited enough money and taken it back."

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Bangla Academy informed in the news release that this year's book fair will start from February 15 and will continue till February 28. Book Fair Daily will start from 2 pm and will continue till 9 pm. However, visitors can enter the fair till 8:30 pm and the lights of the fair will be switched off at 9 pm. Weekends are Fridays and Saturdays and other public holidays

On holidays, the fair will open from 11 am and on February 21, the fair will open from 8 am and end at the same time at night.”

Earlier on Friday, Minister of State for Culture KM Khalid Amar, while visiting the Ekushe Book Fair, invited the book lovers to carry the Covid-19 vaccination card and follow the hygiene rules.

He assured the publishers that the authorities would reduce the stall rent by 50% to reduce their losses.

While watching the preparations for the book fair at Suhrawardy Udyan on Friday afternoon, he said, "We will extend the duration of the fair if the rate of Covid-19 infection decreases."

This time the fair will be held in an area of seven and a half lakh square feet. There will be a separate stage for children. Children will be able to play sports there according to health rules. The stage is set for the unveiling of the book.

However, the Book Publishers and Sellers Association has already written to Bangla Academy and demanded that the book fair be held on March 17 till the birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

They claimed that last year the publishers suffered in the fair and their business was not good throughout the year. Whether the fair is 30 days or 14 days, all the accessories including stall construction are the same. If there is a 14-day fair this time, they will suffer.