Besides being a spot for the booklovers, the venue of the month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair has been a meeting place for many who want to pass time with their dear ones and to ret rid of the monotony of routine life. People of all ages come to the fair, now on the Bangla Academy premise and at Suhrawardy Udyan, to pass a few hours in a secure and protected area.They are seen passing time near Nazrul Mancha, main stage of the fair, vacant place near Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Bhaban, its adjacent pond and at the little magazine corner inside the academy.
Also Suhrawardy Udyan and the road between the park and the academy remain abuzz with people sitting or walking idly and gossiping with the companions.
Enjoying respite from daily toil in workplaces or educational institutions, couples, teenagers and groups of young people were seen whiling away time at the fair venue.
Talking to New Age on Wednesday, a Jagannath University student, Ripon Shikder, who came with one of his friends, said, ‘We have not come to buy book, but to meet friends on the fair premises.’
A youth, Sadikur Rahman, working at a private firm, said he was passing through the academy from his office and found some of his friends there.
‘And now I am having a chat with them,’ he said.
However, some also informed that they already began searching for new titles.
‘I am collecting book lists from different stalls with my friends,’ a Class X student of a city school said.
Publishers, however, were yet to get good response from the booklovers, they said.
Meanwhile, a total of 76 new titles hit the fair with 26 collections of poetry, 15 novels, and eight stories. Also three other new titles were unveiled at Nazrul Mancha.
On the day a seminar on Abu Mohammed Habibullah was held at the main stage.
ABM Hossain presided over the programme while Akhtazuzzaman read out the keynote paper. A cultural function followed the discussion.
Today, the academy will hold a seminar on Language Movement and Role of Amanul Haque. Nasir Ali Mamun is expected to read out the keynote paper while Ahsanul Haque is scheduled to chair the function.
A cultural programme will be held later on.
Usually the fair continues every day between 3:00pm and 8:30pm and on holidays it begins at 11:00am and continues till 8:30pm. On Fridays, there is an interval from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
-With New Age input
