Preparations of Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2016 were still incomplete when the fair was inaugurated yesterday; with the construction of at least 100 stalls still incomplete.
The pathways inside the fairgrounds were seen strewn with bamboos, wood and other construction materials.
Though the fair was inaugurated at 3pm, it did not open for public until 6pm.
Publishers claimed that the fair authorities had yet to complete providing power supply to a number of stalls as well as other important places.
On the Suhrawardy Udyan side of the fair, stalls and pavilions of all publication houses had limited lighting, despite the fair authorities and the security authorities’ promise that enough lighting would be provided.
“I don’t understand why the preparation is still not complete,” said Anisur Rahman, a student at Dhaka University. “This messy condition of the fair will not help with the number of visitors.”
At the Bangla Academy premises, all the stalls that were alloted to government and non-government organisations and media houses remained closed yesterday, most of them still unfinished.
The publishing houses that could not open stalls in Suhrawardy Udyan include Ankur Prakashani, Shova Prokash, Troyee Prakash, Dhrubapada, Boipatra, Rodela Prakashani, Pathshala, Sahitya Prakash, Bhashachitra and Utsya, among others.
Mohammaed Shahadat Hossain, publisher of Annesha publishing house, said this was not unusual.
“Generally the first day of the book fair is like this. I hope this state will change by tomorrow [today],” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
When contacted, Dr Jalal Ahmed, secretary of the book fair committee, said the committee had been busy with the inauguration, so they could not pay attention to the preparation work.
“Everything will be all right tomorrow. We have already taken measures to complete the unfinished work,” he told reporters around 7pm yesterday.
The decoration of many other stalls were found to be incomplete, which is a violation of the book fair guidelines since the decorations were supposed to be finished by January 26, Jalal said.
Despite the messy state, some stalls of renowned publishing houses saw a healthy amount of visitors.
Starting today, a seminar will be held every day until the end of the fair, on different issues related to contemporary literatures as well as the history and research work of Bangla Academy.
Tomorrow, an international poetry festival will take off at the academy’s Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium, featuring a wide range of poets from home and abroad.