Feature

Amor Ekushey Gronthomela

Nabila Nudrat

FEBRUARY is a month that is of great importance for us Bengalis. It is the month that reminds us of our struggle for our mother tongue, it is the month that welcomes spring and it is the month of Boimela (book fair) or Amor Ekushey Gronthomela. Ekushey Boimela takes place every year on the Bangla Academy premise. Every year countless people throng the book fair apart from poets, writers and publishers.

At the very beginning, just after our liberation, Mr. Chittaranjan Saha of Muktodhara Publishing House started an initiative to sell books in front of Bangla Academy on the occasion of our 'Shahid Dibosh', 21st February, 1972. Later, as Khan Brothers and other publishers joined him, an unofficial book fair started to be organized by them. In 1978, Bangla Academy officially took the initiative to organize the fair.

Since its beginning, the purpose of Amor Ekushey Gronthomela has always been showing respect to the valiant protesters who gave their lives to protect our right to speak in our own language. On 2007, a sculpture named 'Moder Gorob' was unveiled which has been built featuring the five martyrs- Rafiq, Salam, Barkat, Jabbar, and Shafiur of the language movement.

Ekushey Boimela takes place within Bangla Academy premise every year. Only Bangladeshi publishers can participate in the fair. A major portion of the Bangladeshi literature is published on the occasion of Ekushey. Books are sold with discount prices in the fair. At the end of the fair, best publishing house award is announced by the organizers.

One very exciting fact about the fair is the presence of poets and writers in the afternoon. Most of the time popular writers and poets are surrounded by their fans for autographs and this is a usual scene in the fair. Bangla Academy also arranges seminars, discussions, inaugural ceremony for new books and cultural programs on the occasion of the fair. After the main inaugural ceremony of the Ekushey Boimela, such programs are held in the fair almost regularly.

Little magazine corner at the Bahera Tola is one popular spot for the visitors. Little magazine corner has publications containing experimental literature which is very popular among young people.

Holding the spirit of our 'Shahid Dibosh' the Ekushey Boimela has remained as the most important and popular book fair of Bangladesh. Though other national level book fairs like Dhaka Book Fair has been arranged with much grandeur, none can beat the enthusiasm of Ekushey. It is not only the books or number of stalls that matters; it is the spirit of 21st February, our long tradition and love of people towards the fair that made it recognizable as a part of our culture. Ekushey Boimela is as much popular among children as among adults. Young children come to the fair with parents; they buy books and develop a sense of what Ekushey means to our nation. Many Bangladeshi children have developed their reading habit through the books of this fair. So, Ekushey has a major contribution in building the new generation's literary culture.

Every year Amor Ekushey Gronthomela becomes a hub for the readers, writers and the publishers. It is one of the most important factors that influence our literary culture.

References:
www.banglaacademy.org
www.wikipedia.org
Writer is a student of Department of Business Administration, Jahangirnagar University.