Amar Ekushey Book Fair
Publishers sell pirated Indian books
More than a dozen publishing houses are displaying and selling pirated Indian books and those of other publishers in Amar Ekushey Book Fair, breaching the fair guidelines.
The fair began this year with a vow to resist the sale and display of pirated books and books published by other publishing houses as the fair this time was dubbed the fair of publishers.
But a number of stalls were seen displaying and selling both the pirated books and those brought out by other publishers in a glaring breach of the fair rules.
Among the errant stalls are those belonging to Pearl Prakashani, Bishwasahitya Bhuban, Mira Prakashani, Janata Prakash, Sahitya Bikash, Abdhoot, Afasr Brothers, Jyotsna, Nourojkitabistan, Nabajug, Abishkar, Al Amin, Radical, Badhan, Bartaman Samai, Ajkal, Akshar Prakashani, Shishu Prakash, Jonaki, Siddiquia, Tripti, Shuvra Prakash, Gazi Prakashani and Mela. The publishing houses were found displaying and selling books of other publications while some others were selling Indian books and cartoon books on popular character Doriman.
Books of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Jibanananda Das, Manik Bandopadhyay, even translation of foreign authors like Shakespeare, published from other publications, were kept for sale in these stalls.
Even, works of Sunil Gangopadhyay, Samaresh Majumdar and Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, among others, are on the display few days after opening of the fair.
Bishwashahitya Bhuban stall was found selling books of Rafat Prakashani, Pearl Prakashani stall was selling books of Ria Prakashani, Mira Prakahsani was selling books of Jatiya Grantha Prakashan while Janata Prakashani was selling Mukta Prakash books.
When asked, representatives of these stalls told New Age that they were selling these books because they were published by their own publications, which did not get stalls in the fair.
‘We are not ignoring the fair rules as any books — be it our own publication or other’s — can be submitted to the fair organisers for enlistment,’ said Shahitya Bhuban stall manager Shariful Islam.
The stall of Parabashi, selling books of expatriate Bangladeshis, is selling all genres of books without maintaining the fair policies, said publishers.
Talking to New Age, publishers said the fair does not allow selling books brought out by others.
‘It is totally illegal to sell books of other publications as one participating publisher cannot be supplier of other publishing houses,’ said Adorn Publications proprietor Syed Zakir Hossain.
Agami proprietor Osman Gani said, ‘Some stalls including Parabashi have been allotted stalls without lottery, so they have hardly any regard for the fair rules.’
He sought punitive measures by the Bangla Academy against the errant stalls while the academy sought co-operation from the publishers in this regard.
‘If the two associations of the publishers play active role to address the problem, it will be stopped immediately,’ said fair organising committee member secretary Shahida Khatun.
She told New Age that action would be taken in a meeting with the publishers’ associations.
Meanwhile, the call for three-minute silence from the youths at Shahbag Square in the capital also touched the academy officials, publishers and writers along with the visitors.
The Bangla Academy, led by its director general Shamuzzaman Khan, stood for three minutes in front of the fair information centre to express solidarity with the protests of youths at Shahbagh, who have been demonstrating for the last eight day for the death penalty of all war criminals.
A total of 108 titles hit the fair on its 12th day. Poetry with 29 books led the tally, followed by 26 novels and 14 story books. Also 12 new titles were unveiled at Nazrul Mancha.
The academy held a seminar on ‘Ali Ahmed: Pandulipi Sangrahak, Gabeshak O Sampadak’ at 4:30pm. Mohammad Abdul Kaiyum presided over the programme.
Dulal Kanti Bhoumik read out the keynote paper in the seminar, also addressed by Moniruzzaman, Ahmad Kabir, Sahajahan Mia and Santi Ranjan Bhoumik.
Today a seminar on Kamruddin Ahmed, to be chaired by Akbar Ali Khan, will he held at the main stage of the fair.
Mahbuba Nasreen will read out the keynote paper in the discussion scheduled to be addressed by Muntasir Mamun, Muhammad Samad, Jalal Feroz and Ahmad Mazhar.
A cultural function will be held later on.
Courtesy of New Age
