Editorial
Ekushey book fair this year
It rekindles the positive in us
THE Ekushey book fair is one of those annual events which reveal the cultural strengths and aspirations of the Bengali nation. It has been that way for decades altogether, which is as much as to say that the constant stream of visitors making their way to the grounds of the Bangla Academy every year is a reflection of the intellectual wellspring the people of Bangladesh have always been drawn to. It is a matter of satisfaction that it is not merely the Ekushey book fair but other book fairs as well which have regularly been a source of inspiration to young and old alike. The tradition which has grown around such fairs, especially the Ekushey fair, is once again being upheld at the Bangla Academy premises this year.
We note that by and large publishers are happy at the way people have been buying books at the fair this year. The fact that people have been getting their hands on new works of fiction as also on those pertaining to poetry is demonstrative of the culture of the mind that has been our underpinning despite the myriad issues we confront on a day-to-day basis in our lives. Besides, the quickness with which books are being sold at the Ekushey fair this year also points to the quality of the works that have made their entry into the stalls this year. Apart from novels, readers have increasingly shown a tendency toward buying works dealing in science fiction. It is a hint that those writing such works do make a rather good impression on the reading public. Another significant aspect of the Ekushey fair is the inclination on the part of book lovers towards coming by works on Bangladesh's history. This is important, more so when one observes the young, who have not had the opportunity to experience such seminal national events as the movement for autonomy and then the War of Liberation, demonstrating a deep interest in the political heritage on which our nationhood is based.
A particularly significant point about the Ekushey book fair remains its increasing expansion, to a point where the premises of the Bangla Academy and even the public thoroughfare before it have been proving inadequate where housing the increasing numbers of book stalls is concerned. That can mean only one thing, which is that the space for the fair needs to expand outward. The nearby Suhrawardy Udyan, at least a goodly portion of it, can be brought within the ambit of the book fair.
Overall, the Ekushey book fair rekindles the positive in us. If reading maketh a full man, the Ekushey fair is proof of that grand idea at work.
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