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The children are going to have Shishu Prohor at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Friday morning, and publishers and sellers of children’s books are waiting eagerly to ensure a higher sale on the day.
During the Shishu Prohor, or special hours (11am to 1pm) dedicated to kids at the weekend, the children will get the chance to browse and buy books, comics, literature and other learning materials at the Shishu Chattar, which has been named Sheikh Russel Shishu Chattar this year.
Since the chattar was inaugurated last Friday afternoon, this Friday the children will crowd the book fair cheering with joy again, being accompanied by their guardians wearing colourful dresses.
A total of 108 stalls have been allocated to the children’s book publishing houses in this book fair where some 63 publishers have set up their book stalls.
Azadul Islam, a third grader from Old Dhaka, came to the book fair and visited the Shishu Chattar with her mother Anisha Islam on Thursday.
Anisha said the routine of day-to-day life has made it difficult to encourage children to read books for pleasure and fun.
“And so having less time in hand, my son is becoming addicted to using smartphones and playing games there. But I do not want him to grow up in this way. So, every year I bring him to the wonderful world of books and encourage him to read for pleasure,” she added.
Kamrun Nahar Kanta, a salesperson of Knowledge View, told The Business Post that they are selling reading and learning materials (books) and items with colourful pictures, which are getting attention from the children gradually.
About the sales, Shyamal Kumar Das, publisher of Ghasphoring, said they have witnessed less number of sales in the first nine days this year compared to the previous year.
He, however, is expecting good sales this weekend.
During the children’s hour, characters of the popular children’s show Sisimpur will act their roles in front of the children, said Member Secretary KM Muzahidul Islam of the book fair management committee.
The show will be held three times a day.
“We want to provide more scope to the children so that they can play and have fun while buying books at the book fair,” said Muzahidul, also the Bangla Academy director.
Along with organising Shishu Prohor, Bangla Academy is organising a drawing competition at its main stage on the academy premises at 8:30am on Friday while the selection phase for the poem recitation programme would be held at Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad auditorium of the academy at 9:30am.
Meanwhile, some 123 books have been published on the ninth day of the book fair, the highest on any day since the fair started, according to the organiser.
