Shahbagh movement overshadows Ekushey Boi Mela

While Shahbagh intersection is abuzz with people at the moment, Amar Ekushey Boi Mela remains slightly void of visitors this year compared to previous years, said publishers at the book fair yesterday.
“However, those who are visiting the stalls are buying books enthusiastically,” said AKM Tariqul Islam Roni, publisher at Tamralipi Publishing House.
A total of 109 books arrived at the fair yesterday while visitors of all ages swarmed in on the fair premises at Bangla Academy in the capital.
At 4:00pm, visitors flocked together in front of the fair's Information Centre to observe 3-minute silence to express solidarity to the ongoing youth movement at Shahbagh demanding capital punishment for the war criminals of 1971.
Murshid Uddin Anwar, deputy director of Bangla Academy, joined in with the visitors to express solidarity.
Shubhro, Joy, Rakib and Ontu, four college students came to the fair after finishing their classes.
Joy said, “I have almost every book written by Humayun Ahmed in my collection. Today I am going to buy “Hijibiji,” the last book written by him.”
Lutfur Rahman Riton, an author, said, “Every year, I come to Dhaka from Canada in January and stay till the end of February to spend quality time at the Boi Mela.”
Tazlina, a university student, said she comes to Ekushey Boi Mela every year to get Bangla translations of famous literary pieces and autobiographies.