Muktadhara: Pioneering the Ekushey Book Fair

Jawhar Lal Shaha at the Muktadhara stall, Amar Ekushey Granthamela '08Photo: STAR

The month-long 'Amar Ekushey Granthamela' is perhaps the most eagerly awaited book fair in our country. Particularly enthused are the authors, publishers and readers.
However the mela has had a chequered history. The book fair was the brainchild of the late Chittaranjan Saha, founder of publishing house Muktadhara. He embarked on this front with a small sale in front of the Bangla Academy on February 21, 1972. Later other book publishers joined in unofficially. Bangla Academy took over as the fair authority in 1978. In 1984 it was named 'Amar Ekushey Granthamela'. Gradually it became the official and hugely popular book fair in Bangladesh.
Recently The Daily Star spoke to Jawhar Lal Shaha, the current director of Muktadhara. The conversation covered Muktadhara's history and involvement with the 'Amar Ekushey Granthamela'.
“Muktadhara embarked on its journey in the course of the Liberation War. In those days, eminent authors and journalists, who were being forced to take shelter in Kolkata from Bangladesh, regularly gathered at Syed Ali Ahsan's (National Professor) temporary residence in Kolkata. All of them were fired with the zeal to do something for the country. Chittaranjan Shaha regularly met and encouraged them to write for the country and took the responsibility to publish their writing.”
“After that the artistes established the Swadhin Bangla Shahitya Parishad and Chittaranjan established Muktadhara in Kolkata,” said Jawhar Lal Shaha, who is also the brother-in-law of the late Chittaranjan.
Jawhar also pointed out that throughout the nine months of the Liberation War, Muktadhara published 32 books on the war.
Talking about his role in the establishment of Muktadhara, Jawhar said, “I used to assist Chittaranjan Shaha in publishing.”
After the Liberation War, Chittaranjan returned to Bangladesh and continued his mission by publishing creative works of noted and upcoming authors under the aegis of Muktadhara.
About Muktadhara's involvement with the Amar Ekushey Granthamela, Zahar Lal said that initially (in the early 70s) the Bangla Academy used to arrange only weeklong programmes to mark Language Day. In the course of such an event, in 1972 Chittaranjan Shaha began to sell books at the Bangla Academy premise, while seated on the ground.
In 1974, Bangla Academy arranged a collection of literary books. In the same year, Chittaranjan further developed his idea and built a stall.
Gradually some other publishing houses, including Khan Brothers, Chalantika, Boighor and Chittagong Boighor, joined hands with Muktadhara. In 1978, the Bangla Academy, in collaboration with Bangladesh Pustak Prokashok O Bikreta Samiti, arranged the full-fledged book fair for the first time.
In the course of this year's festival, Muktadhara has brought out publications such as Ekush Shotoker Television Shangbadikota written by Samia Zaman; Onek Ronger Foying by Dhruba Esh and Pratyagato, a translation by Abdul Hafiz.
Aptly, this year, the Bangla Academy has dedicated the book fair to the late Chittaranjan Shaha and placed a portrait of him at the fair. However Jawhar has urged the authorities to pay a fitting tribute to the pioneer by setting up a permanent stall or place for Muktadhara.