The Bangla Academy this year will organise the annual Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela, scheduled to be inaugurated on February 1, at a larger extension of the venue.
Preparation for the fair has started much ahead of the deadline this year with the target of allotting a larger number of stalls and ensuring a better experience for the visitors.
Jalal Ahmed, member secretary of the Bangla Academy book fair organising committee said, "The venue of the fair including the number of its stalls, units of publishing houses and pavilions will be extended and we started our preparation real early. Alongside, the stall rentals of the fair will be increased too."
He said the pavilion rental will be increased by up to 20 percent compared to last year's rates. He, however, could not readily say how many more stalls and pavilions would be allotted this time. Nearly 6,000 publishers have applied for stalls in the book fair that is being held on the Bangla Academy compound and a part of the Suhrawardy Udyan.
In 2017, as many as 351 institutions were allotted 565 stalls. Out of those, 128 stalls were set up on the Bangla Academy premises while 437 at the Suhrawardy Udyan. For the first time, a total of 11 institutions were allotted pavilions last year.
Jalal told the news agency that all arrangements will be made to ensure booklovers comfort at the fair. This year, apart from well decorated reading areas, more sitting spaces will be added with sufficient quality toilets. Also, there will be a larger and more attractive book unveiling podium. "This year we'll allocate more spaces for bookstalls that sell new books."
"There will be a separate gate for writers and publishers... and elderly people and journalists will also be able to use that entrance," he added.
The Bangla Academy this year has made it mandatory that the publishers participating in the fair will need to submit copies of their agreements with book authors, royalty certificates of the authors along with filled out information form.
Regarding security and safety measures at the fair, Jalal said all participating publishing houses will be brought under insurance coverage. Strict security arrangements will be made at the venue this year as well.
Aside from the venue, surrounding areas such as the TSC, Shamsunnahar Hall, Shahbagh intersection and Doyel Chattar will be brought under closed circuit camera surveillance. Eight archways will also be placed for screening visitors at the venue entrances -- the Bangla Academy and the Suhrawardy Udyan.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the fair. The Bangla Academy literature award will also be distributed during the opening ceremony.
A three-day “International Literature Conference” will also be held from February 20 to February 23 this year.
The fair hours will be from 3:00pm to 8:00pm daily and at 4:00pm every day, there will be a seminar at the main stage of the fair. The curtain of the fair will come down on February 28.
