Turnout in Boi Mela increasing, key focus on July uprising

A stall at the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2025_11zon

Dhaka, Feb 6 — A large crowd was observed on the sixth day of the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2025.

Although sales were not yet high, representatives from several stalls said that the turnout was steadily increasing.

The variety of books also gradually expanded. According to the Bangla Academy Public Relations Office, 80 new books arrived at the fair today.

This year’s book fair features several programmes focused on the July Mass Uprising. Upon entering through the TSC gate, a stage has been set up on the right-hand side where the event “The Story of July” began. Every day at 7 pm, someone who had participated in the July movement shares their stories of the uprising.

Additionally, within the Bangla Academy premises, there is a stall for the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which sells various books related to the July Uprising. Several individuals said that during the previous government’s tenure, opposition parties were not allowed to participate in the book fair.

Inside Suhrawardy Udyan, stall number 784 belonged to ICS (Islamic Chhatra Shibir) Publications, offering a variety of Islamic poetry, essays, and storybooks. Former Shibir leader Wahiduzzaman said, “During the previous government’s tenure, we were not permitted to set up a stall. This year, we managed to do so, but faced many challenges in securing the stall.”

Within the Bangla Academy premises, there was a stall named Zia Parishad, which offers books on Bangladeshi nationalism, various storybooks, and Islamic literature. Giasuddin Ahmed, office secretary of Zia Parishad, said, “During the autocratic regime, we were not allowed to set up a stall. Following the mass uprising of students and the public, we were able to establish our stall.”

With these elements combined, both buyers and visitors called this year’s book fair exceptional.

A visitor from Mirpur said, “This year’s book fair feels unique. After the fall of the autocratic government, the Amar Ekushey Book Fair started with new enthusiasm in the new Bangladesh.”

Meanwhile, representatives from various stalls said that sales were not yet in full swing. They said, although the number of visitors had risen, the number of buyers remained low. Nevertheless, they were hopeful that the number of buyers would gradually increase. - UNB