Standing on the Bangla Academy premises, sister Samaila and Samara are glowing with glee as they show me the new books they bought at the fair.
“We have purchased at least 14 books. They are very interested in reading books,” their mother, Dr Ruma, a Dhaka University teacher who resides in Kuwait-Moitry Hall, said.
However, Samaila and Samara are few of the lucky children to have been able to attend this year’s Amar Ekushey Boi Mela, a favourite annual event for many book lovers.
“The children’s presence at the fair this year is lower than other times because the guardians, some of whome live far from here, are obviously not willing to come out fearing violence on the road,” said Sayem, a businessman from Nayabazar in old Dhaka.
Sayem was here with his son Swadhin. “I’m here as my child insisted on coming. So I had to come but I’m not being able to purchase the books now. We will purchase the new books later.”
Sayem is among a larger majority of parents who appear to feel this way, and it shows in the disheartening lack of children around the book fair this year. The ongoing hartal and blockade imposed by BNP-led 20 party alliance has made it difficult for many children to come to the fair.
Habib, a salesman at Ranginful publication, tells me: “All kinds of children’s books are being sold but the number of children and their guardian’s presence is less because of this ongoing hartal and blockade.”
Quoting the same reason, Jugal Sarkar of Children’s Book Center told me: “I have observed that only those who reside nearby are coming along with their kids. But we hope in the next days, they will come to join us.”
Most of the children’s bookstall keepers shared similar sentiments as they noticed an absence of children at the fair.
However, they mentioned they have sold a reasonable number of children’s books, although it was not up to their expectation.
However, the spirit remains high as always. It was seen outside the gates of the bookfair where many were waiting eagerly before the fair was about to open doors before 3pm. Despite a noticeable lack of children, the sales seem to be increasing daily.
With the fair doing its best to continue with normalcy despite blockade and hartal interruptions, the International Literary Conference will end today after discussion session “Glipmses of Bangladesh theatre” in the afternoon, moderated by Mofidul Haque. This will follow a morning session on “Trends in Contemporary Playwriting” where famous personality Ramendu Majumdar is scheduled to present a keynote paper.