Ekushey Boi Mela

Bangla Academy dictionary on high demand

Dictionary of Bangla Academy is on high demand at the month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Melar this year and numbers of visitors were seen browsing at the Bangla Academy stalls yesterday.
Jalal Ahmed, secretary general of Bangla Academy, told The Independent “Everyday a good number of people came to our academy stalls and among the books dictionary is on high demand”.
He said that considering the high demand of our books including dictionary, this year academy has set up four stalls and a pavilion in the book fair along with a separate stall for selling only dictionaries at the Suhrawardy Udyan.
“Besides, books on folks of of the country are at a good sale as people of different districts across the country are interested in their folk culture” he said.
“Those books (folk books) are also sold well at the Kolkata book fair as well as book fair in Khulna and other divisions of the country” he added.
Academy Director General Shahsuzzaman Khan informed this correspondent that academy authorities have added about 700 new words in the third edition (June 2015) of their English-to-Bengali this year and lion share of total sales at the academy comes from the sale of dictionaries.
Arafat Sarker Setu, a student of Jagannath University, who bought a Bangla to English dictionary said “I have already finished buying my favourite novels and poetry books and today (Wednesday) I came here to buy a dictionary”.
Reza Forhad, an aspirant of the upcoming 37th BCS (Bangladesh Public Service Commission) examination said that dictionary is very effective for anyone to learn a language methodically as well as it helps to have good preparation for competitive exams including BCS.
Bangla Academy stall sources said that different categories of bangla academy dictionaries on high demand this year to the customers and price of these dictionaries are from Taka100 to1000 and they added 30 per cent commission on their sale marking the fair.
Stall attendants said that some of their new arrivals earned praised of the visitors such as Adhunik Bangla Abhidhan and Bangla Bhashai Byabharita Arbi, Farsi, Urdu Shabder Abhidhan, edited by Haroon Rashid.
Besides, the seventeen day of the book fair saw 140 new books arrived at the fair venue so far, including 18 on story books, 19 on novels, 6 on articles, 47 on rhymes, 1 on research, 3 on history, and 5 on children literature.
In the afternoon a discussion meeting was held at the main stage of the fair on Bangla Academy premises marking the hundredth birth anniversary of Shawkat Osman.
With Novelist Dr Selina Hossain in the chair, Prof Shantonu Kaiser presented a keynote paper at the discussion while among others, novelist Jakir Talukder, Moinul Ahsan Saber and Nurul Karim Nasim addressed on the occasion.
On the other hand, a human chain was observed on the premises of Raju sculpture at TSC yesterday protesting cancellation and shut down of ‘Badwip Prakashan’ publications under the banner of ‘Lekhok-Prakashak-Pathok.
Earlier, on Monday police shut down the respective stall no. (191) at the fair and also detained Badwip Prakashan Publisher Shamsuzzoha Manik and two others on charge of selling a book “Islam Bitarka” with content that could "hurt religious sentiments.

Ekushey Boi Mela

Bangla Academy dictionary on high demand

Dictionary of Bangla Academy is on high demand at the month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Melar this year and numbers of visitors were seen browsing at the Bangla Academy stalls yesterday. Jalal Ahmed, secretary general of Bangla Academy, told The Independent Everyday a good number of people came to our academy stalls and among the books dictionary is on high demand. He said that considering the high demand of our books including dictionary, this year academy has set up four stalls and a pavilion in the book fair along with a separate stall for selling only dictionaries at the Suhrawardy Udyan. Besides, books on folks of of the country are at a good sale as people of different districts across the country are interested in their folk culture he said. Those books (folk books) are also sold well at the Kolkata book fair as well as book fair in Khulna and other divisions of the country he added. Academy Director General Shahsuzzaman Khan informed this correspondent that academy authorities have added about 700 new words in the third edition (June 2015) of their English-to-Bengali this year and lion share of total sales at the academy comes from the sale of dictionaries. Arafat Sarker Setu, a student of Jagannath University, who bought a Bangla to English dictionary said I have already finished buying my favourite novels and poetry books and today (Wednesday) I came here to buy a dictionary. Reza Forhad, an aspirant of the upcoming 37th BCS (Bangladesh Public Service Commission) examination said that dictionary is very effective for anyone to learn a language methodically as well as it helps to have good preparation for competitive exams including BCS. Bangla Academy stall sources said that different categories of bangla academy dictionaries on high demand this year to the customers and price of these dictionaries are from Taka100 to1000 and they added 30 per cent commission on their sale marking the fair. Stall attendants said that some of their new arrivals earned praised of the visitors such as Adhunik Bangla Abhidhan and Bangla Bhashai Byabharita Arbi, Farsi, Urdu Shabder Abhidhan, edited by Haroon Rashid. Besides, the seventeen day of the book fair saw 140 new books arrived at the fair venue so far, including 18 on story books, 19 on novels, 6 on articles, 47 on rhymes, 1 on research, 3 on history, and 5 on children literature. In the afternoon a discussion meeting was held at the main stage of the fair on Bangla Academy premises marking the hundredth birth anniversary of Shawkat Osman. With Novelist Dr Selina Hossain in the chair, Prof Shantonu Kaiser presented a keynote paper at the discussion while among others, novelist Jakir Talukder, Moinul Ahsan Saber and Nurul Karim Nasim addressed on the occasion. On the other hand, a human chain was observed on the premises of Raju sculpture at TSC yesterday protesting cancellation and shut down of Badwip Prakashan publications under the banner of Lekhok-Prakashak-Pathok. Earlier, on Monday police shut down the respective stall no. (191) at the fair and also detained Badwip Prakashan Publisher Shamsuzzoha Manik and two others on charge of selling a book Islam Bitarka with content that could hurt religious sentiments.