Boi Mela gaining momentum

The 21-day long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela Chattogram 2023 kicked off at the MA Aziz Stadium Gymnasium premises of Chattogram  on Wednesday.

The fair is gradually gaining momentum as bookworms from different parts of the port city are swarming into the fair everyday, specially on weekends.

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury inaugurated the fair.

A total of 108 publishers from Chattogram and Dhaka have been participating in the fair displaying books in 140 stalls, said Nisar Uddin Ahmed Manju, a councillor of CCC and convener of this year's edition.

Creative Publishers Council is assisting CCC to organise the fair.

Visiting the book fair on Friday afternoon, it was seen that a good number of book lovers came to the fair. They were seen selecting their favourite books at different stalls.

Readers were flocking to the stalls, including Baatighar Publication, Adorn Publication and Kothaprokash Publication.

Eighth grader Rafi came to the fair with his father. He said he liked books of Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and so he came to the fair to purchase some new books of the writer.

Eleventh grader Tanima Chowdhury came with her friends. They were all looking for books at the Baatighar publication's stall. Tanima said she came to buy books on history. Besides, she was looking for a new novel by writer Asif Nazrul.

Bablu Chowdhury, a salesman at Baatighar Publication, said books on politics and novels were in high demand.

"There is also a great demand for children's literature," he added.

The fair will remain open between 3:00pm and 9:00pm every day and between 10:00am and 9:00pm on holidays.