Curtain of the month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela (book fair) 2017 raises today as Bangla Academy is set to stage its annual extravaganza on its premises and at Suhrawardy Udyan, reports BSS. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the fair at 3pm on the Bangla Academy premises. The premier will also distribute prizes among the winners of 'Bangla Academy Sahitya Puroshkar 2016' and inaugurate a 4-day International Literature Conference 2017. "Ocean of Sorrow", translation of noted Bengali novelist Mir Mosharraf Hossain’s famous novel “Bishad Sindhu” and “Hundred Poems From Bangladesh”, published from Germany, will be handed over to the prime minister at the function.
Dong You Chen, Chinese researcher and translator on Rabindranath Tagore’s works, Austrian Menfred Kebo, Luz Maria Lopez from Puerto Rica and Indian essayist Chinmoy Guha will join the inaugural function as guests of honour. Bangla Academy Director General Shamsuzzaman Khan told the news agency yesterday that preparations for Amar Ekushey Boi Mela-2017 (Book Fair-2017) are at final stage on the Bangla Academy premises and Suhrawardy Udyan as the fair will kick off tomorrow (Wednesday). Apart from Bangla Academy premises, around 400,000 square feet area on Suhrawardy Udyan was earmarked for the fair, he said.
The Suhrawardy Udyan part of the fair has been decorated with 12 (Chattar) divisions. Some 663 units have been allotted to 409 institutions at the academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises.
Besides, 14 publication houses including Bangla Academy are given 15 pavilions covering an area of total 6, 000 square feet. Some 100 little magazines have been allocated spaces at the Little Magazine Corner, south side of Burdwan House on the academy premises.
Children corner at the Suhrawardy Udyan has been decorated gorgeously with colorful lightings and toys of children this year like the previous years. During the month-long fair, every Friday and Saturday will be observed as Shishu Prohor (children hour). About the prices of books, the Bangla Academy DG said 30 percent commission will be given on books published by the academy while 25 percent commission for other publications’ books.
Two main entry gates have been erected at Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University and Doyel Chattar while three gates will be at Bangla Academy and eight gates at Suhrawardy Udyan at entry and exit points. Stringent security measures, including closed-circuit camera surveillance, have been taken to avert any untoward incident during the fair. Meanwhile, one more book by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hit the book fair today. The book comprises Sheikh Hasina’s 13 articles published at different times on contemporary politics in Bangladesh. The book ‘Nirbachita Probandha’ (selected essays) will be  available at Pavilion No. 13 since the first day of the month-long book fair.