A grander Boi Mela 2023
The Director General of Bangla Academy, Mohammad Nurul Huda, announced at a press conference yesterday that the upcoming Amar Ekushey Book Fair will be larger, taking place on 11.5 lakh square feet, compared to last year’s 7 lakh square feet.
AHM Lokman, Secretary of Bangla Academy, KM Muzahidul Islam, member secretary of the fair management committee, Mir Nawbut Ali, Chief Marketing Officer of bKash Limited, and MA Maruf, Managing Director of Crosswork were also in attendance.
Huda claims that this year’s book fair has grown in size, which has resulted in a rise in the number of stalls and pavilions. The fair, which takes over 11.5 lakh square feet on the grounds of the Bangla Academy and the famous Suhrawardy Udyan, is being organized.
After a three-year break, Bangla Academy has decided to organize the Boi Mela on February 1, as is customary, according to KM Muzahidul Islam, a member of the fair’s administration committee. Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister, will be present to formally declare the book fair open. “Read the book, develop the country, Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh” is the theme for this year.
He also informed that 901 units and 38 pavilions belonging to 654 organizations have been allocated for the fair.
However, the decoration and style of the stalls have been altered due to the ongoing construction of a metro station located on the road between Suhrawardy Udyan and Bangla Academy.
This year, the Udyan’s entry point opposite to the Bangla Academy entrance, which was used as an entrance last year, will now only serve as an exit. Instead, visitors are encouraged to enter the venue through the main gate opposite to the DU TSC intersection or through a second gate located in the center.
According to the spokesperson, the Shishu Chattar will be located within Suhrawardy Udyan, with consideration for the comfort of children and their parents. To make it more accessible, the Shishu Chattar has been placed near the entrance. Unlike last year, when the Shishu Prohar was not held due to the pandemic, this year’s fair will feature the Shishu Prohar from the start.
Additionally, he stated that from February 1 through February 28, the book fair will be open daily from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. On holidays, it will operate from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm. The fair will open at 8:00 am on February 21 and run through 9:00 pm.
At 4:00 PM, he stated, a seminar would be presented on the book fair’s main stage. Throughout the entire month, there will be a cultural program every evening.
