Dipan Nandy

A dilapidated tin-shed stands precariously at Bittipara area in Kushtia.

If you take a look at the Rayer Bazar Dhaka City Corporation Market, you will see that the age-old building is on the verge of falling apart.

"Around 4:30 or 4:45pm, the ceiling and the walls began to collapse following a big blast. I cannot remember much of what happened afterwards."

After delivering his watershed speech on March 7, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returned home with thousands in his wake.

Every year, thousands of poetry books are published at Amar Ekushey Boi Mela, and this year was no exception. According to Bangla Academy data, more poetry books were published this year than other genres of literature, including stories and novels.

As scores of people placed floral wreaths on the pedestal of Central Shaheed Minar yesterday, they also thronged the nearby Ekushey book fair, which commemorates the sacrifice made in 1952 through literature.

Becoming a writer was always a distant dream of theirs. But due to  harsh realities of life and meagre income, they had to sustain  themselves first. In the process, they had to bury that dream a long time ago.

Around hundred publishing houses have set up stalls at Shishu Chattar at the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela. A number of childrens’ books have been published by these publication houses. However, parents have claimed that there’s little to no variation in these books.

Literature can leave a lifetime impact on our minds. It helps us understand ourselves and the world around us, and it transcends boundaries through translation. This year’s Ekushey book fair saw a large number of translated versions of world literature by prominent authors.

It was quite a sight. The premises of the Boi Mela in Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan were packed with bookworms. They were moving from one stall to another, turning through the pages of the books available and buying them.

Beraid is a small place in terms of size, but it is huge in terms of popularity, thanks to a large number of ancient mosques.

At first glance, it looks like a simple tin-shed house. One will not even find any decent-looking furniture inside the room.

Residents of the newly-added wards in Dhaka North City Corporation expressed dissatisfaction after being denied civic amenities, claiming that life was far better when they were under the union parishad.

It’s been more than a century since he won the Noble Prize in literature and 82 years since he passed away. However, Rabindranath Tagore remains alive in the minds of readers. Be it poetry, songs, novels, short stories or plays, the works of Rabindranath Tagore are forever etched in their minds.

People were coming hand in hand, wearing yellow and red color dresses. Celebrations of Pahela Fagun and Valentine’s Day were in the air everywhere yesterday, especially at the premises of Ekushey Boi Mela.

It’s that time of the year again, when the first day of spring and the occasion to express one’s love coincide with the passion of bookworms, creating a festive atmosphere at Amar Ekushey Boi Mela.

“There’s no better place to share a moment reading and pass on this habit, than a book fair,” said Farhana Taher, who was sitting next to a stage at the Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday.

It was a sunny morning, which was further brightened up with the presence of children, who turned up in huge numbers at Amar Ekushey Boi Mela with their parents. They bought books of their choice and had a fun time with the characters of Sisimpur (Sesame Street’s Bangladeshi adaptation).

Mahatabul Rahman was roaming around the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela with his wife. He went to a stall on the Suhrawardy Uddyan premises and took a book in his hand, raised his eyebrows and put it back.

Although the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela is yet to go in full bloom, bookworms are already scouting the stalls looking for new reading material.