Despite a record-breaking number of new arrivals at the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela, visitor turnout and sale have been fluctuating.
The increasing number of new books has broken all records of the last three years, says Bangla Academy. Yesterday, around 63 new books arrived. Although it was previously stated as crossing 3,000, a corrected figure yesterday put it at 2,953. In the previous years, new arrivals at this stage of the fair was lower – 2,515 and 2,251 in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
However, there was a drop in the number of visitors on Sunday compared to the weekend, although publishers say Sunday’s sales were much higher than other weekdays of this fair season.
Stall attendants and publishers say traditionally the fair has seen more visitors during the weekends, but this year was entirely different as there were very few visitors in the beginning due to the political violence across the country.
The fair saw an increasing number of visitors as it stepped into its fourth week yesterday, possibly because it is nearing its final days.
Overall sales at the fair crossed Tk1crore yesterday and stall attendants appeared relaxed and calm.
Amzad Hossain Kajol, director of Oitijjo Prakashani, said the last two weekends saw high sales, and yesterday was good as well.
Among the new books, there were 715 poetry collections, 497 novels, 469 short story collections, 156 essay collections, 76 research compilations, 110 rhymes collections, 70 biographies, 60 scientific books, and 48 travel story books, according to data provided by Bangla Academy.
Attendants at the Bangla Academy stalls said their Bengali-to-English and English-to-Bengali dictionaries were selling really well this year, just as in the past years.
Awards for publishing houses
Mobarak Hossain, director of Bangla Academy, on Saturday declared awards for publishing houses in four categories that will be handed over to the publishers on February 28, marking the last day of the fair.
The publication house Mowla Brothers was awarded with Chittaranjan Saha Smriti Puroshkar for publishing the highest number of good quality books in 2014.
The Munier Chowdhury Smriti Puroshkar, for the best book in 2014, was given to Bengal Publications Limited for Murtaja Baseer’s “Amar Jibon or Onnanyo” and to Pathak Samabesh for “Rabindra Samagra Khondo-23.”
Rokonuzzaman Khan Dada Bhai Smriti Puroskar, which is awarded for publishing quality books for children, was awarded to Somoy Prokashon.
University Press Limited received Qayyum Chowdhury Smriti Puroshkar for the best decorated pavilion and Prothoma and Journeyman Books received it for the best decorated stalls for this year.
