Visitors throng fair with Ekushey spirit

Amar Ekushey Granthamela 2014 in the capital saw an increased number of visitors yesterday which was a public holiday marking International Mother Language Day. Photo: Star

Being a public holiday marking International Mother Language Day, thousands of visitors, including ones arriving to pay tribute to the Language Movement martyrs at the capital's Central Shaheed Minar nearby, flocked to the Amar Ekushey Granthamela 2014 yesterday.
Many of those arriving on the fair's Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises had headbands and cheeks adorned with paintings of the minar, national flag and Bangla alphabets and were donning saris and panjabis in shades of black and even school uniforms.
Although the fair begins on February 1, the huge number of visitors stood proof to the wholeness the day brings to the fair which is aptly named in remembrance of the sacrifice of the language heroes on the same day in 1952.
One visitor from Rampura, Amena Akhtar, said coming to the book fair, especially on February 21, has become a habit as her entire family loved books. “Earlier I used to come with my parents but now I come with my friends,” she said.
The fair opened at 8:00am, seven hours in advance than on weekdays, and closed at 8:30pm, half an hour past the regular schedule, to accommodate the rush of visitors, which included some foreigners with whole families.
“Without any doubt we saw the maximum sale today,” said Md Aminur Rahman, proprietor of Pranto Prokashon, expecting the figure to be double that of other days. He said they wait every year for the day's sales boom.
Though most returned home with their favourite books, some were a bit disappointed.
“I came to get a book of Bangla Academy named Bangla Bhashar Riti but did not get it…I needed it urgently,” said Saalim Sakib Wrivu, a class six student of Bir Shrestha Noor Mohammad Rifles Public School & College. However, he got two other books.

Yesterday, 253 new books arrived while publication ceremonies of 22 were held.
Gonojagoron Mancha published its first book on the movement, “Shahbagh: Gonojagoron o Itihasher Dai”, edited by its Spokesperson Imran H Sarkar.
The fair's dedicated hours for children is today from 10:00am to 3:00pm and the fair would remain open till 8:30pm.