New beginnings for Bengal Boi, Charcha

After remaining mostly closed since the lockdown began in March, popular bookstores Bengal Boi and Charcha have started to continue operations at a new branch and online respectively.

Bengal Boi has moved from its original location in Lalmatia and reopened at Bengal Shilpalay on Dhanmondi (old) Road 27 while Charcha will move to a new location in the city's Bhatara area soon.

BENGAL BOI

Popular for its range of books, the new brand has been stocked with Bengal Book's old collections, with new books on art and architecture on the way.

Visitors of its original location are nostalgic about the shift. In November 2017, Bengal Boi arrived with a unique offering of books, food, open space, and regular cultural events, and patrons of varying age soon started frequenting it for the cosy, spacious environment adjacent to the rush of Dhanmondi's busy main roads.

"It was a necessary change for Dhaka: people were starting to interact with books again, and that hadn't happened in a long time," said Qazi Mustabeen Noor, a regular visitor.

Poet and essayist Piyash Majid said, "The combination of books and stimulating conversations made Bengal Boi a unique institution in Dhaka city."

For Bengal boi, there were some difficulties in organising musical events inside a residential neighbourhood, Bengal Foundation told The Daily Star. With the shift to Bengal Shilpalay, the Foundation hopes to offer art, music, books, and events -- a "complete cultural experience".

The reopening comes with standard safety precautions. Sanitisers and face masks are mandated for all those who visit. Bengal Foundation is hopeful that the large space at the Shilpalay will deter close physical contact between visitors. Workshops, film screenings, and other literary programmes have already been scheduled for when the pandemic situation improves.

CHARCHA

In the meantime, Charcha Publications will continue online before moving on to its new location in Bhatara. Having recently published the graphic novel series "Mujib" based on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the bookstore will not shutdown even though it has formally ended operations at its original location at Mohammadpur's Sher Shah Suri road.

Even after a stock-out sale, which took place over a week at the end of last month, around 10,000 to 12,000 books remain in Charcha's collections, which are available online with home delivery services. The shop was a niche favourite for dedicated readers.

"Although the store was wedged into an alley and one needed cautious eyes to find it, I felt wonderful discovering Charcha because they had all the latest titles along with other obscure books that one could not typically find anywhere else in Dhaka," says Shah Tazrian Ashrafi, a regular customer.

The store was known to host book discussions, readings, and unplugged musical evenings.

"We are working on updating our website to enhance the online order process, and once the pandemic subsides, Charcha will hopefully reopen at its new branch in Bhatara," Sabrina Islam, co-founder of the store, told The Daily Star.

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