The Bangla Academy authorities were yet to bring the Amar Ekushey Book Fair premises under the internet and Wi-fi coverage on the second day of the fair on Saturday.
As per the announcement by the authorities, the fair area was to be under free-internet facilitates from the very first day of the fair while it would take another few
days to make the facilities available to the visitors.
‘It may take another few days to bring the academy premises under Wi-fi coverage,’ said Murhsid Anwar, deputy director of coordination & public relations department in
Bangla Academy.
Meanwhile, a number of young visitors who came to the fair with laptops or notebooks were frustrated fining no such arrangement.
Dhaka University student Forhad Uddin told New Age that he came to the fair with his laptop on the news that there would be internet browsing facilities at the fair.
The crowd of book-lovers on Saturday was thinner than that of the first day.
Being a holiday, the fair was open from 11:00am to 9:00pm but the crowd was not satisfactory, stall attendants said.
However, long queues of young people were seen in front of the stall of Anya Prakash selling books of popular author Humyun Ahmed, who died on July 19 in 2012.
The stall attendants said that most of the visitors were just collecting book-lists from their stalls and the turnover was no good.
But the environment of the fair premises and the stall decoration attracted the visitors much.
Talking to New Age, Mahmudul Hasan from Dhanmondi said, ‘This year the fair ground looks very calm and sound. I think the academy has taken its best decision to limit
the fair ground so that they can supervise it all the time.’
The second day of the fair witnessed the arrival of only 20 new titles, with novels leading the tally.
Also seven titles were unveiled at Nazrul Mancha on the day
On the day, the academy organised a discussion on ‘Amit Sambhababanar Desh Bangladesh’ at the main stage of the fair.
Eminent economist Khondokar Ibrahim Khaled read out the keynote paper on the occasion, chaired by Wahiduddin Mahmud.
Masuda Bhatti, MM Akash, Atiur Rahman and Mohammad Farashuddin, among others, addressed the programme.
Today, a discussion on ‘Bangladesher Samaj O Sangskritir Rupantorer Dhara’ will be held.
The programme is expected to be addressed, among others, by Rehnuma Ahmed, Mujtaba Ahmed and Rabiul Islam.
Meghna Guhthakurata will present the keynote paper in the programme to be chaired by Serajul Islam.
A cultural function will be held later on.
-With New Age input
