The Amar Ekushey Boi Mela has been extended till March 17 as the COVID-19 situation improves across the country, bringing the total duration of its run-time to 31 days – the longest in the history.
The announcement of the extension has satisfied publishers, to say the least. According to them, the sales this year has matched their expectations so far, which means the 17-day extension can make up for much of the losses faced during the pandemic.
“This year’s fair has been going well from the very beginning. Not only the publishers, but the readers will also benefit from this extension,” said Farid Ahmed, president of Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh.
Jahirul Abedin Jewel, one of the proprietors of Ittadi Grontho Prokash, said, “We have been in a perilous situation for the last two years because of the pandemic.”
“But it seems like we can finally make up for the losses with the month-long fair this year,” he said.
The book fair will remain open for all from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm on working days and 11:00 am to 9:00 pm on public holidays with a one-hour break for lunch and offering prayers.
A total of 776 stalls have been allocated to 534 organizations. The authorities have allotted 142 stalls to 102 organizations at the Bangla Academy ground and 634 stalls to 432 organizations at the Suhrawardy Udyan.
Photo: Courtesy of New Age
