Actor, director and painter Afzal Hossain has stressed the importance of reading beyond school textbooks, saying books play a vital role in developing children’s minds and curiosity.
He made the remarks on Monday at the opening of Chhotokaku Utsab 2026, a two-day festival celebrating the popular detective character he has played and directed for 15 years. The festival is being held at Aloki Convention in Dhaka’s Tejgaon and will continue on Tuesday.
“People do not grow up by reading only school textbooks, and they cannot. The more people come closer to books, the more that country and its people will develop,” Afzal said.
He said Chhotokaku was created not merely for entertainment but to encourage patriotism, intelligence and curiosity through adventure and mystery.
“When a question arises in a child’s mind, they will search for an answer. Life itself is about questions and answers. That is why we have organised the Chhotokaku festival,” he said.
The festival opened with a rally involving more than 100 students from several Dhaka schools. The two-day event features competitions, discussions, adda and entertainment programmes for children, teenagers and families.
Created by Faridur Reza Sagar, Chhotokaku began as a book series in 2004 and later moved to television. So far, 48 books featuring the character have been published, with stories set in 45 districts of Bangladesh.
