At least 40 young children, attending schools in Dhanmondi and living on the streets or in slums, were presented with a set of five books from a publishing house yesterday at the book fair.
Ahmed Publishing House, whose stall is located at Suhrawardy Udyan, arranged to hand out the books to the children.
Aklima is one such slum girl who studies at a Dhanmondi school, and was given the books. After returning from school, she works as a maid at a neighbouring home.
“It’s quite nice to have received this many books. I am overjoyed to have them,” she told Dhaka Tribune after being presented with the books at 4:30 pm yesterday.
Rahidul, a class seven student who resides on Panthapath Road and also works at an electric shop nearby, was presented with a set of books, as Aklima had been. He shared similar sentiments.
Like Rahidul and Aklima, another 38 students from similar schools were presented with a similar set of books by the stall of Ahmed Publishing House.
After receiving the set, Mousumi, Rabiza, Rokeya, and Sharmin, who study in class six, said they too were ecstatic about the books.
“Most of us are here for the first time. It feels good to have so many books in hand. I would never have come to the fair if our madam had not taken us to it. This is a gift for us,” said Mousumi to Dhaka Tribune.
The five books are: “Iran-Turaner Golpo” and “Hadither Katha” by Bonde Ali Mia, “Ali Baba” by Ibrahim Khan, “Chhotoder Mohanobi” by Mir Mosarraf Hossain, and “Sonali Apple” by Muntasir Ahmed.
Surovi is a non-governmental voluntary development organisation that came into operation and established a school for poverty-stricken children in 1979. Now, the schools have nearly 400 students who reside on the streets or in slums around the capital.
School headmistress Nipa Das said to Dhaka Tribune: “The children will be inspired by coming here and receiving the books. Through this visit, my children will become better acquainted with these books.”
“I think the publishing house has taken a great step,” she added.
Nipa Das said those students who were preparing for the parade to be held in March were selected for the visit.
Mesbahuddin Ahmed, director of Ahmed publishing house, said street children could not afford to buy books for reading. So we took an initiative to give them some books this time, and this will continue each year.
The fair continues to attract many more book-lovers every day. There were 83 new additions yesterday, bringing the total number of newly-published books to 3,135.
