Only five days remain before the curtain falls on the Amar Ekushey Book Fair. Usually, the closing days of the fair see such large crowds of book lovers that there is barely room to walk, while publishers struggle to keep up with sales.
However, the picture is markedly different this year.
Although the duration of the fair has been extended, publishing houses are expressing deep disappointment as sales have fallen far short of expectations.
A visit to the fairgrounds on Suhrawardy Udyan and the Bangla Academy premises on Tuesday, along with conversations with representatives of several publishing houses, revealed the gloomy scenario.
Publishers said the number of visitors has been significantly lower than last year since the beginning of the fair.
Those involved said the fair started later than usual this year, dampening the festive atmosphere that typically surrounds February. The month of Ramadan has also contributed to the situation.
Many readers are reluctant to spend long hours at the fair during the day under the hot sun while fasting.
At the same time, with educational institutions on holiday, many families have left Dhaka to visit their hometowns.
With Eid-ul-Fitr approaching, people are now focusing more on buying new clothes and preparing for Eid shopping.
Rahul, a sales assistant at Adarsha Prakashani, explained the situation. “This year the book fair began during Ramadan, so many people are not coming during the daytime. After iftar and tarawih prayers, people hardly have much time left. This is directly affecting book sales,” he said.
Saiful Islam, a sales assistant at the Kishor Bhubon stall, shared a similar view. “Usually sales peak in the middle of the book fair. But this year the fair is almost over and the presence of readers remains disappointing. There is some crowd on holidays, but it is much lower compared with previous years,” he said.
Tushar Ahmed, a sales assistant at Mawla Brothers, believed the absence of students is a major factor.
He said students are the primary readers of the fair.
With schools, colleges and universities closed, students are not coming to the fair in groups as they usually do.
“With the atmosphere of Eid already setting in, the book fair has not really gained momentum this year,” he said.
Readers, however, offered somewhat different explanations.
Dhaka University student Sharmin Akter said she had bought books by some of her favourite writers but could not purchase as many as before.
“Budget constraints mean I now have to think carefully and choose books selectively,” she said.
Other readers said technological advances have increased the tendency to buy books online or read PDF versions.
Reader Mahmudul Hasan said many people now visit the fair mainly to enjoy the environment rather than to buy books.
“Many people come just to experience the atmosphere of the fair, but they are more interested in looking around than buying books,” he said.
The sluggish sales have also left many large publishing houses concerned.
However, those involved remain hopeful that the upcoming government holidays at the end of the fair may improve the situation and bring readers back to the stalls.
