After the initial quiet days, the Amar Ekushey Book Fair came alive on its ninth day as holiday crowds flocked to the Bangla Academy premises and adjacent Suhrawardy Udyan.
Readers, visitors, and book lovers filled the fair from the morning, creating a vibrant, festival-like atmosphere. The excitement was especially palpable during the children’s programme, Shishu Prahor (Children’s Hour), and with the arrival of 199 new books on Friday.
The fair opened at 11am on the weekly holiday, coinciding with the start of Shishu Prahor, which continued until 1pm. The programme featured puppet shows, marionette performances, and bioscope displays that drew considerable attention from young visitors. According to the organisers, in addition to daily free puppet shows and storytelling sessions, small workshops on puppet-making are also being conducted for children.
Third-grade student Arafat Rahman expressed his delight, saying he had previously only watched puppet shows on television, but seeing a live performance at the fair made the experience far more enjoyable. He added that the combination of live puppets and comic books had made his visit especially memorable.
Book sellers welcomed the renewed interest. Tushar Ahmed, a sales assistant at Maola Brothers, said both visitor turnout and sales were encouraging compared to previous days. Rakib Hasan of Takdhum Publications expressed similar optimism, noting that they expected high sales on Friday and Saturday ahead of the Eid season.
The day also featured cultural and literary events. In the morning, the final round of the Children and Young Adults Recitation Competition took place. In the afternoon, the main stage hosted a discussion titled “Birth Centenary: Qalim Sharafi”, with essay readings by Onima Roy. Writers Mridul Mahbub and Ehsan Mahmud participated in the “Lekhok Bolchi (Authors Speak)” session, discussing their new books. The evening concluded with poetry recitations and cultural performances.
On Saturday, the fair will run from 11 am to 9 pm, with Shishu Prahor continuing until 1 pm. The main stage will feature a discussion titled “Birth Centenary: Nurjahan Begum”, and the Academy auditorium will host the final round of the Children and Young Adults Music Competition alongside cultural programmes.
The renewed energy, new book releases, and children’s activities have clearly brought the Amar Ekushey Book Fair back to life, delighting visitors and exhibitors alike.
