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The weekend brought the expected surge of visitors to the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, as book lovers and casual attendees alike thronged the stalls in the afternoon, despite the gates opening in the morning, reports bdnews24.com.
While the foot traffic was substantial, the literary presence at the fair on Friday was notably subdued. Writers and intellectuals, who often animate the Littlemag Square with discussions and debates, were largely absent.
Meanwhile, at the Shishu Chattar, the absence of Ikri, Halum, and Tuktuki from Sisimpur, a popular puppet TV show, left a void, dampening the usual enthusiasm of young visitors.
The fair opened its gates at 11am, with a dedicated children’s hour lasting until 1pm. During this time, parents ushered their children through the maze of colourful stalls, flipping through the pages of books written for young readers.
As the afternoon progressed, the fairgrounds swelled with visitors. Publishers and vendors, buoyed by the growing turnout, expressed optimism about the coming days.
Rifa Tamanna Islam, sales manager at Jhumjhumi Publishing, acknowledged a slow start to the book fair’s first week but noted a promising turnout on its first Friday.
“The book fair was a bit slow in the first week,” she told bdnews24.com. “However, this time, many people came on the first Friday of the fair. I hope that more people will come in the coming days.”
At stalls representing more than ten publishing houses—including Anyaprokash, Prothoma, Kathaprokash, Anannya, Baatighar, Agami—salespeople expressed a sense of optimism. Many reported steady business and voiced satisfaction with sales, a promising sign for the days ahead.
Monirul Haque of Ananya Prokashani noted the significance of strong attendance on Fridays, particularly during holidays.