Book fair wears colours of spring

The book fair took up a festive look yesterday with people especially the youths clad in colourful clothes streaming onto the premises on the occasion of Pahela Falgun and Saraswati Puja. While children and women mostly wore yellow saris and flower crowns, men were seen in panjabis.

The fair ground was also abuzz with chattering children coming to enjoy the Shishu Prohor or Children's Hours. The young readers enjoyed their favourite characters of TV show "Sisimpur" Halum, Ikri and Tuktuki roaming around the premises. 

Long queues were seen before the Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan. Visitors to the fair also dropped by at Jagannath Hall playground of Dhaka University to enjoy the beautifully decorated Puja Mandaps set up by different departments.   

Meanwhile, the second part of the graphic novel series on the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was launched at the book fair.

The Centre for Research and Information (CRI) published the series, with the first part being launched on March17, 2015 on the last birth anniversary of the father of the nation and National Children's Day.

The comic series is available at the CRI stall on the Bangla Academy premises.

The second part focuses on Bangabandhu's political awakening and the development of a close relationship with Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, his political mentor. The price of the second part is Tk 110.

At the launching programme, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, grandson of Bangabandhu, said, "We want to make our children and youths aware about the historic activities of Bangabandhu. We want to portray how a boy of Tungipara enlightened himself in politics despite hailing from an ordinary family."

The first part portrays the childhood and growing up of Bangabandhu. The next parts will focus on the vision and mission that paved his way to great leadership. The entire autobiographical book by Bangabandhu, "The Unfinished Memoirs", would be presented in 12 parts in the series, said Radwan, a publisher of the book.

Later, 100 children who won Friday's quiz competition on the first part of the graphic novel were awarded.

Ashrufa Tabassum, a winner and class V student of BGB Government Primary School, said, "I am always curious about Bangabandhu. I am very happy to have won the prize and got the new beautiful book."

A total of 135 books arrived, and five new books were launched at the fair yesterday.

Today the fair is open from 3:00pm to 8:00pm.

At 4:00pm, a discussion titled "Bangladeshe Rabindra Charcha: Otit Theke Bartaman" will be held at the main stage of the Bangla Academy. There will be a cultural event in the evening as well.