Shawdesh Desk:

Amar Ekushey Book Fair ended on Saturday recording huge sale of books and witnessing a massive gathering of visitors.

Thousands of booklovers thronged the fair on Bangla Academy premises and Suhrawardy Udyan to seize the last opportunity of collecting books.

On the day, booksellers were seen struggling to manage the huge number of bookworms. Publishers also expressed satisfaction over the sale of book this year.

Bangla Academy authority arranged the closing ceremony in the fair.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid was present as the chief guest at the programme presided over by National Professor Dr Anisuzzaman presided.

Bangla Academy Director General Kabi Habibullah Siraji delivered the welcoming speech while its member secretary Dr Jalal Ahmed presented the report of the book fair.

Besides, ‘Syed Waliullah Literature Award 2018’ for contribution to Bengali literature, ‘Chittaranjan Saha Memorial Award’, ‘Munir Chowdhury Smriti Puraskar 2020’,

‘Rokanuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Smrity Award-2020’, and Artist Qayyum Chowdhury memorial award for showing artistic acumen at stall building were given in the event.

The fair began on February 2 this year due to elections to two city corporation elections in Dhaka.

Bangla academy has published 200 books this year. Of those, 100 were published on the life and works of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, marking the birth centenary of the charismatic leader. The theme of the fair was “Birth Centenary of Bangabandhu” and it was also dedicated to Bangabandhu.

According to Bangla Academy, around five thousand new books hit this year’s book fair.