Rain forces book fair to shut temporarily
UNB
The seasons first norwester, accompanied by hailstorm and heavy rainfall, wreaked havoc on Amar Ekushey Boi Mela in the capital yesterday, damaging many stalls and causing huge losses to publishers, reports UNB.
The fair venue on the Bangla Academy premises and its extended part at Suhrawardy Udyan went under ankle-deep water, forcing the authorities to temporarily shut the fair.
Jalal Ahmed, the member secretary of the book fair committee, said they took the decision as the venue got swamped with rainwater. He said they are working to improve the situation by pumping out the water. Well resume the fair after removal of water and some repair works.
The authorities are not allowing any visitor as of 4:45pm to enter the fair venue. A fire-fighting unit was engaged in flushing out the stagnant water from the venue.
Books at most stalls got soaked with the rain water as the decoration and structures of the stalls were damaged with hailstorm.
Book stalls at the Suhrawardy Udyan portion were badly affected by norwester and rain. A stall of Bangla Academy at Suhrawardy Udyan was badly damaged as its rooftop collapsed during the norwester.
The publishers could not estimate the extent of losses initially but they said it would be huge. Attendants of many stalls were seen busy removing rainwater from their stalls and drying soaked books in the sun and air.
Hasan, a representative to Bangla Academy stall, said many of the drenched books were damaged as they were trying to save some.
