Netizens are providing mixed reactions on social media platform over a booklist by Rokomari.com of bestseller writers on the occasion of this year’s Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
Rokomari.com is a popular e-commerce site and one of the leading online bookstores in the country that experiences better sales of Islamic scholars’ books.
Names of five Islamic scholars were included in the list of 40 bestseller writers. The list is available on the Rokomari.com website.
Among these authors, Arif Azad is on number two and Mizanur Rahman Azhari is in the third position. Besides, Abdul Hi Muhammad Saifullah is in the 10th position.
‘Jibon Jekhane Jemon’, ‘Nobi Jiboner Golpo’, ‘Jobab’, ‘Paradoxical Sajid’ are among the books written by Arif Azad available on Rokomari.com.
On the other hand, Mizanur Rahman Azhari’s book ‘Message’ is in the popular category as well.
The name of Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, Islamic historian, religious scholar and Islamist politician from Libya, is on the 34th position.
Besides, Sheikh Ahmadullah, who is also a well-known Islamic scholar of Bangladesh, is in 35th position in the bestseller writers’ category.
Apart from that Nouman Ali Khan, Khandaker Abdullah Jahangir and several other Islamic writers’ books are also becoming popular among the readers, according to Rokomari.
After the online bookstore disclosed its bestseller list, comments began to pour for and against it on social media.
“Ekushey Book Fair is not an ordinary book fair. Ekushey Book Fair has a cultural and political context. This context will determine what kind of books will be sold or be available at this fair,” said Kamrul Hassan Mamun, a professor of Dhaka University on his verified Facebook post on Thursday.
Arman H Mithu, another social media user, said in a post on a Facebook group: “A small number of people feel irritated to see Islamic books in the bestsellers’ list. First, they need to read those books and then should criticise them.”
According to the corporate affairs officer of Rokomari.com Ashrafur Rahman, they are currently receiving more orders for Islamic books.
“Maybe customers prefer to buy Islamic books recently because of the month of Ramadan,” he said.
