Zeenat Book Supply, a store that holds countless memories for three generations, is closing its doors in New Market nearly 60 years after opening.
Aneek R Haque, a practising attorney, fondly wrote on social media about his connection with Sayeed Faisal, the kind and accessible proprietor of the legendary bookstore, and on how the establishment inspired his love of reading.
He said that he was once left alone at the bookshop while his mother went to get something else. A stranger had tried to break the ice by giving him a book with a parrot that looked like the one on his shirt.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneThe Castafiore Emerald, a popular book from Herge's Tintin comics, catalyzed Haque's transformation into an avid reader.
“I'm a lifelong reader, and Tintin still remains my favourite”, he said.
Zeenat Book Supply became a frequent meeting place for him and his friends, thanks to the owner's recommendation.
"We spent so much time at the bookstore and in the surrounding areas that they had no choice but to provide us with some space to sit, chat and relax. We would call it the 'Bekaar Chottor (the Unemployed Square),'' he noted.
Haque also expressed his gratitude to the bookshop's owner and his staff, recalling how he would stay there and read when he was short on money, remembering his place in the book so he could pick up where he had left off after he returned.
When the owner, Faisal, noticed this, he still allowed Haque to read for free because it was more critical that Haque have the opportunity to read than to have the money to do so.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune"I could steal without guilt at Zeenat and I would invariably always meet Faisal bhai, who introduced me to the world of literature," Haque said with delight.
The business committee at New Market hired Haque to advocate for them and stop the scraping of the land to turn it into the hi-rise building that had been planned for it for years. This would have meant the end of the decade-long friendship between an ardent fan, a perpetual reader, and the owner of a bookstore.
"They (Faisal) came to every hearing with me, and I will never forget their smiles when we won," he continued.
His final words ending the social media post were a passionate call for those who could assist in keeping the store running.
"It's very sad to watch them close down," he lamented.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneSlow demise
Since 1963, Zeenat Book Supply has welcomed customers from all walks of life, maintaining the store's cultural integrity by stocking only original copies.
However, as time has passed, technology has made books more accessible online and fewer people have been going to physical shops. The bookstore quickly became dependent on a single importer.
Faisal finally decided it was best to shut down, since he has lost Tk29 lakh in nine years to piracy. Besides, there has been an overall lack of interest among readers.
“They want to pay less,” he quipped, adding that some of these imports should be exempt from taxation as prices have been rising rapidly.
The books are often pirated and sold as cheap photocopies.
Faisal, who has received multiple letters from sad customers about Zeenat's closure, has also commented on the divergence in readership since the outlet was initially launched.
" I can remember there used to be queues outside our store before, but now the younger generation does not read as much," he continued.
A third-generation member of the Shahrukh family, Samina Ahsan Shahrukh, also expressed her sadness at the closure of Zeenat Book Supply on social media.
"At least half of the books from our personal collection are from Zeenat," she penned disappointedly. Shahrukh went all the way to New Market only to visit Zeenat.
"I'm probably still in denial, and Imaad (Zeenat's son) was intensely upset," she said.
Shahrukh, an avid reader, likens Zeenat to a popular bookstore chain in Japan. “The closest thing Bangladesh has to Kinokuniya was this bookshop.”
Tasneem Siraj Mahboob, an associate professor of English at the University of Dhaka, expressed her regret over the closing down of bookshops and the resulting damage to society's literary and intellectual life.
"Bookstores and libraries were significant meeting places for friends and neighbours. Visiting a bookstore or library was an excellent opportunity to meet new people who shared your love of reading and a great place to get some peace," she commented.
"We will lose a huge chunk of our heritage if these things are lost."
Having read both physical books and their electronic versions, Mahboob prefers the former.
She said: "We shouldn't be losing out on bookstores since the physical presence of a book gives you a positive feeling that digital will never."
Before closing permanently on May 1, after 59 years of nurturing readers, Zeenat Book Supply is hosting a sale and offering its loyal customers one more chance to go - as a last hurrah and a token of gratitude for bibliophiles.
