With just three days remaining before the month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair, publishers, printers, binders, and transporters are in full swing as they strive to ensure that books for the fair are ready on time.
The hectic schedule to prepare for the fair began at printing presses and binders in December. Press workers and owners say the work pressure is so high, presses are open 24/7.
Khokon, an employee of Ekushey Printers, said: “We are working day and night to make sure books are ready for the fair. All leave has been cancelled until the preparations are complete.”
According to press owners, a number of temporary workers are hired to help with preparations for the fair, and they will continue to work alongside permanent employees till the end of the fair in March.
Although books for the fair are also being printed at Bangabazar, Sutrapur, Purana Paltan, Naya Paltan, Fakirapul, Nilkhet, and Kataban, Bangla Bazar in Old Dhaka is the largest and most well-known area for printing books.
Known as the book market, Bangla Bazar has several hundred printing presses busy composing, proofing, pasting, plate setting, and printing books for the fair. Visiting the area, this correspondent found many people running around with stacks of paper or loading books on to vans, most of them too busy to talk.
A bookshop in Banglabazar, Dhaka prior to month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair | Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
At Dhaka Printers, on Shrish Das Lane of Bangla Bazar, workers were operating two printing presses. Dhaka Printers worker Kamal Hossain said: “There are many kinds of work that need to be completed for the book fair. There is little time to take a break or even eat due to the work pressure.”
Dhaka Printers President Amin Khan said: “We began printing books in November. Our work will go on till the end of the fair, as books have to be continually supplied.”
Jahangir Alam, a printing machine worker of Al-Faisal Printers, said: "Book printing work is like a kind of addiction. It is our pleasure to ensure that books reach readers across the country. There is a lot of pressure before the fair, but we are trying to do our best to fulfill the demand for books.”
Mahmud Printers owner Kalim Sarker said printing houses ordered various publications for the fair two months ago, and the work was growing more hectic as the date for the fair approached.
“In addition to printers, the adjoining composite shops are also facing extreme pressure at the moment. After printing, binding, and aesthetic packaging, the books will be sent to the Amar Ekushey Book Fair,” he added.
Monirul Islam, publisher of Ananya Publications, said: “We have already completed our preparations ahead of the book fair. This year, we have a good number of new books for our readers.”
According to Amar Ekushey Book Fair organizer Bangla Academy, the book fair will be bigger than in previous years, as the venue has been expanded and more stalls have been allocated at both the Bangla Academy premises and Suhrawardy Udyan. The theme for this year’s fair is “Bijoy: 1952 to 1971 Ebong Naboporjay.”
According to the Amar Ekushey Book Fair Organizing Committee, 550 publishers will participate in the fair, including 19 new institutions.