It is no doubt extremely disappointing for the denizens of Dhaka that the Ekushey Boi Mela has essentially been cancelled in 2021, with the authorities instead attempting to organize a virtual event.
The book fair has remained one of the highlights of the calendar year for Bangladesh, with thousands flocking to it in the month of February, creating a vibrant and festive spectacle unlike any other.
However, the next edition of the Ekushey Boi Mela will not have thousands crowding hundreds of stalls of new books, and while it is a regrettable reality, it is also the correct decision, for which the authorities deserve credit.Indeed, for the Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to abandon some of our most beloved traditions in the name of safety and well-being, and despite the massive void that the absence of the Ekushey Mela will create, it must be repeated that nothing is more valuable than ensuring that human lives are not put at further risk.
Unfortunately, that is precisely what would happen were the event allowed to be hosted as per usual; social distancing remains paramount, along with wearing a mask and regular handwashing, to curb the spread of the coronavirus as the world waits for mass vaccination, and as such, the
Ekushey Boi Mela, with its close quarters of crowds, would be a catastrophe.Instead, by calling off the event and attempting to present an online version, decisive leadership has been shown, where festivities at the cost of lives lost have been abandoned in favour of safety and security. As the old saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry.