Readers Meander Through Book Fair

After several years of congestion and overcrowding defining the Dhaka Book Fair at Bangla Academy and the surrounding Shahbagh–Sohrabwardy area, this year’s fair has presented a markedly different picture. Held during the holy month of Ramadan, the fair saw increased attendance on Saturday, a public holiday, yet without the usual crush of visitors. Attendees could wander freely, browsing and purchasing books at their leisure.

Among them was fifth-grader Kaushik Chakraborty, who arrived from Shahrashti, Chandpur, with his father, Keshab Chakraborty. Enthusiastic about literature, Kaushik purchased several adolescent novels by Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and various ghost stories before exploring the fair. Speaking near the open-air stage, Kaushik remarked that it was his first visit to the fair and that he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Crowds were also observed at the Dhaka Comics stall, attracting both children and adults. Partha Kund, a software engineer from Shahjadpur, visited to buy comics for his younger siblings. He explained that work commitments had previously prevented him from attending. After initially visiting the Little Magazine courtyard, he moved to the comics stall, drawn particularly by the Sangshoptok comic about the Liberation War heroes, which he found highly engaging. Partha subsequently purchased several comics for his siblings.

Dhaka Comics sales assistant Shanta noted that alongside Sangshoptok, titles such as Zoom, Mahakash-e Prani, and Chronicles of Allen Swapno were popular, attracting readers of all ages.

The UPL stall also experienced a surge in young visitors. Senior Assistant Manager A.K.M. Kamruzzaman highlighted that Firoz Ahmed’s translation of Richard Eaton’s The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier (1204–1760) was selling particularly well. In addition, Israel Khan’s edited compilation, Hindu–Muslim Relations (1901–1947), drew considerable interest. UPL Managing Director Mahrooq Mahiuddin emphasised that despite various challenges, the publisher had participated to respect government regulations and recognised the fair’s economic significance, suggesting better coordinated planning for future events.

At the Prothoma Publications stall, books such as Syed Abul Maksud’s Bhasani Charit, Sirajul Islam Chowdhury’s The 1971 Uprising and the Question of Popular Liberation, Kamruddin Ahmed’s An Urban Bengali Middle-Class Memoir, and Abul Kalam Mohammad Zakaria’s Bangladesh’s Archaeological Heritage were among the top sellers. Meanwhile, Other Stories’ stall drew a crowd around works by Sadat Hossain.

According to Bangla Academy, 185 new books were released at the fair on Saturday, including Essays on the July Uprising, edited by Muhammad Azam.

A highlight for literary scholars was Jasimuddin: Beyond Modernity, published by Prothoma. The work by Kudrat-i-Huda re-examines Jasimuddin’s unique poetic and ideological trajectory, tracing his development amid colonial influence while maintaining his distinct voice, and situates him as a principal figure in Bengali literary history. Kudrat-i-Huda, born 25 January 1978 in Alfadanga, Faridpur, holds MPhil and PhD degrees from Dhaka University and has contributed extensively to research on cultural politics, history, and postcolonial studies. His scholarly work earned him the Maha-Kobi Madhusudan Award 2023.

Popular Books and Stalls at Dhaka Book Fair

The atmosphere of the fair demonstrates that, even during Ramadan, readers are keen to explore literature, and publishers continue to cater to diverse tastes, from historical analyses and biographies to adolescent horror and comics, ensuring a vibrant and engaging literary environment.