Book fair gets off to a dismal start [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Book fair gets off to a dismal start

Local February 02, 2016

About 100 stalls yet to open, still many more incomplete, lax security and dust in the air left Ekushey Book Fair in disarray on its opening day on Monday.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the fair, the annual get-together of writers, book enthusiasts and publishers, commemorating the historic Language Movement of 1952, at Bangla Academy, which organises the fair.
Ahead of the fair, the fair authorities as well as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police had vowed to provide special security for bloggers, writers and publishers, but there was hardly anything to substantiate the vows.
As soon as the prime minister left the academy premises, visitors were seen entering the book fair venues without any frisking and without going through security checking.
No security archway was set up at the entry points although the fair committee had said archways would be set up at the entrances to ensure security for the fair.
Although three watchtowers have been built, no security guard was placed at the towers till 7:00pm.
A section of publishers as well as visitors vented their disappointment with the poor security measure for the fair as the memories of the series of attacks on writers, publishers and bloggers are still fresh.
‘We lost a publisher, one was injured while several writers were attacked and killed. If anything like that happens again, who will take the responsibility,’ said Shraban Prakashani publisher Robin Ahsan.
Jagriti publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan, who published books by slain science writer Avijit Roy, was
hacked to death in the capital’s Aziz Super Market on October 31, a few hours after another of Avijit’s publishers, Shuddhasar’s publisher of Ahmedur Rashid Tutul and two other writers came under similar attack in the capital’s Lalmatia.
Writer Avijit Roy was hacked to death near TSC while returning from the book fair on February 25 last year.
Many of the stalls were closed yet or their decoration was not completed on the opening day, which was a violation of the fair committee guidelines.
At least 100 publishing houses did not open their stalls till 6:30pm at both Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan.
The publishers claimed that the fair authorities were yet to complete setting electricity connections to the stalls and other important places.
All roads to the fairs were full of piled bamboos, woods, nails and other materials to be used for decorating stalls.
The fair organisers failed to provide any list of the day’s arrivals as the information centre was yet to be set up.
Book fair organising member secretary Jalal Ahmed said, ‘Usually, there remains some violations of the fair guidelines on the first day and things will be alright in the coming days.’
He said that they would ask all to complete their stalls by Tuesday.
‘All security measures will be taken form tomorrow [Tuesday]’, he said.
Meanwhile prime minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to translate classical and well-selected Bangla works into different international languages to introduce the world readers to Bangla literature.
‘I urge you for translation of the vast classical and well-selected Bangla works of literature to take them to the world readers,’ she said.
The theme of this year fair is ‘Diamond Jubilee of Bangla Academy’ marking its 60 years.
The fair will open at 3:00pm and continue till 8:00pm on working days, while from 11:00am to 8:00pm on holidays.
Bangla Academy will hold a discussion on the 60th founding anniversary of Bangla Academy at the fair ground at 4:00pm as part of the month-long discussion programme.