The month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair, the largest book fair in the country, is set to begin tomorrow on the Bangla Academy premises and at Suhrawardy Udyan in a new form this year.
One can see hundreds of decorated stalls made by bamboo, wood, plywood that are coloured with different vibrant colours at the academy compound or at the Udyan.
Publishers taking their last minute’s preparation to decorate their stalls; busy people — workers who are making the stalls, owners and their associates who are giving finishing touches on decor of their stalls— are in rush to complete their shops before the opening ceremony of the fair tomorrow afternoon.
Officials of the Bangla Academy said they are hoping to hold the largest ever gathering of book lovers this year since the venue has been extended to Suhrawardy Udyan, for the very first time.
Publishers appreciated the book fair extended to a more open space like Suhrawardy Udyan as the space will offer relaxed movement for the visitors.
However, a few publishers said the space could have been organised in a more systematic way.
Robin Ahsan, publisher of Srabon Prokashoni, said: “We are happy with the fact that the fair comes to comparatively in an open place but it was not done in an organised manner.”
Robin is also hoping that, in the future, the fair authority will look into this matter.
Wishing to be anonymous, an official of Bangla Academy said the final list of allocations of stalls is yet to be done.
“We have a draft list, now,” he added.
However, Deputy Director of Bangla Academy Murshed Anwar said all kinds of preparations— in terms of stalls, security measures and budget— for the fair are done.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to inaugurate the fair on February 1, Murshed said.
According to the available list, 262 stalls have been allotted for the publishers in three categories — 131 single units, 83 double units, 48 triple units and 11 quadruple units.
The government institutions and organisations were allotted to set up their stalls on the Bangla Academy premises and the extended Suhrawardy Udyan was allotted for the publishers.
Rony, a carpenter who has been working to build the stalls since the last few days, said a number of 700 stalls have been set up.
Of them “430 only in Suhrawardy Udyan and rest of the stalls are on Bangla Academy premises.” l