Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2025. Photo : BSS

DHAKA, Feb 4, 2024 (BSS) - A total of 47 new books hit the stalls of Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2025 today (Tuesday) on the 4th day of the fair beginning on February 1.

A discussion titled “Kumudini Hajong: Juilou Tara, Tarala Jui”, remembering veteran woman leader of historic Tanka Movement Kumudini Hajong, was held at the main stage of the fair at 4:00 pm today.

Chaired by Abu Sayeed Khan, the discussion was addressed, among others, by Motilal Hajong and Parag Richil while the main articles were presented by Pavel Partha, said a press relaese.

The keynote speaker highlighted Kumudini Hajong’s role as a resilient leader of the anti-colonial peasant movement and emphasized her fight against colonial oppression, social injustice, and economic disparities while advocating for sovereignty, fair wages, and agrarian reform.

“During the British rule, the Tanka Movement emerged as a major protest against unjust land tenure systems, where many Hajong men and women sacrificed their lives. Kumudini Hajong remains one of the most prominent figures of the movement,” said Pavel Partha. 

In the 'Lekhak Bolsi' programme, poet Atahar Khan and fiction writer Papri Rahman took part in the discussion on their new books. 

A cultural program featured poetry recitations by poets Abdul Hai Shikder and Sohel Hasan Galib while evening’s cultural segment included a performance by Upantik Theatre, directed by Tahmina Sarwar. 

This year, the fair hosts 99 stalls on the premises of Bangla Academy and 609 stalls at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan. A total of 708 publishers are participating the fair, which was 642 last year.

Visitors can visit the fair from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm every day. On holidays, it will remain open from 11:00 am. 

The fair also features 37 pavilions-one at Bangla Academy and 36 at Suhrawardy Udyan. A dedicated space for little magazines has been set up near the open stage of Suhrawardy Udyan. 
The theme for this year's book fair is "July Gono Obbhuthyan: Notun Bangladesh Binirman" (The July Uprising: Rebuilding a New Bangladesh).