The books authored and published during a war always have an archival quality; they capture the time in its crudest form. They are a seamless blend of all the possibilities of the time and the event. Hope and despair. Confidence and Confusion. Spontaneity and determinism.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, several books were published of which two deserve special mention:
Roktakto Bangla and
Bangladesh Kotha Koy. The books were published by Swadhin Bangla Sahitya Parishad Muktadhara, founded under the leadership of Chittaranjan Saha, who would find new fame in 1972 for his pioneering role in starting the Ekushey Boi Mela.
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Book Fair National & International Perspectives The New Nation
Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
The invention of the Gutenberg printing press in Germany in the fifteenth century revolutionised the world of books. Gutenberg used to bring printed books to Frankfurt for sale. After seeing him, other local booksellers also started sitting there with their published books. Buyers from different cities also started coming to buy all those books. And this is how book fairs are introduced in the world. This is how the world s oldest book fair started in Frankfurt, Germany. With the advent of the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution, book fairs were introduced in other European cities as well. The first book fair was organized by Matthew Kerry in 1802 in New York City, USA. In 1875, about 100 publishers organised a large book fair in Clinton, New York.
Dhaka University Correspondent,
bdnews24.com
Published: 17 Jan 2021 08:29 PM BdST
Updated: 17 Jan 2021 08:29 PM BdST
The government is thinking about letting the Amar Ekushey Book Fair begin in person this year after a delay amid the coronavirus pandemic but no date has been decided. );
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KM Khalid, the state minister for cultural affairs, said they will send a proposal to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on beginning the fair on Feb 20, or Mar 7 or Mar 17.
“Because we want to end the fair before Ramadan begins on Apr 12,” he said at a press conference on Sunday after meeting with the organisers of the fair – Bangla Academy and Gyan O Srijanshil Prokashok Samiti or the Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh.
Dhaka University Correspondent and Staff Correspondent,
bdnews24.com
Published: 11 Jan 2021 02:45 AM BdST
Updated: 11 Jan 2021 02:45 AM BdST A child browsing a book at a stall at the Ekushey Book Fair during children s hour on Friday. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi
The Amar Ekushey Book Fair is not going to be organised in February this year due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Bangla Academy has said. );
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Its Director General Habibullah Shirajee told bdnews24.com about the cultural affairs ministry’s decision on Sunday night that the fair cannot be held in the month of the Language Movement despite the publishers’ push.
A new schedule will be fixed when the situation improves, he added.
The Amar Ekushey Boi Mela will be held virtually in February. Plans to host the Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela 2021 at its usual physical location have been suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We have decided to have the fair virtually this year, Jalal Ahmed, member secretary of the book fair committee, told The Daily Star yesterday.
The committee had requested publishers planning to participate in the fair to submit a letter of interest by September 30. Five hundred publishers had shown intent. But only 120 institutions confirmed through the paid registration process by early December. It seemed not many organisations would be participating in the book fair given the circumstances. This was one of the reasons behind our decision in addition to the health risks involved, the secretary said.