Children watched the puppet show with wide-eyed fascination as the second day of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair began in a lively atmosphere amid their cheerful presence.
The fairgrounds gained a different level of vibrancy from the morning, with a strong presence of young visitors on the weekly holiday, Friday.
The second day of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, Bangla language and literature’s largest celebration, started in the morning with a variety of events. The day’s formal proceedings began at 9:30am at the Bangla Academy premises with a children’s drawing competition, followed by a recitation contest at 10:30am.
The fair opened to visitors at 11:00am, and the designated ‘Children’s Hour’(Shishu prohor) continued until 1:00pm. During this time, the Bangla Academy grounds buzzed with drawing and recitation activities. Tomorrow’s Children’s Hour will feature music.
One of the major attractions of Children’s Hour was an educational puppet show that captivated young audiences. Near the Muktomancha inside Suhrawardy Udyan, the ‘Kaktaruya Puppet Theatre: Traditional Puppet Show’ has been set up. Through the performances, children are being taught various educational messages, like reading books, avoiding excessive mobile gaming, and eating green vegetables.
However, the absence of the popular ‘Sisimpur’ segment, a fixture in previous years, has created some disappointment among children. Still, the alternative puppet show has managed to keep them entertained.
After Children’s Hour ended at 1:00pm, the number of visitors of all ages gradually increased. On the ground, however, there was not much crowd in front of the stalls before evening. Many stalls at the Bangla Academy premises and Suhrawardy Udyan are still not fully ready; construction and book arrangement work were seen ongoing in several stalls.
This year’s fair has been shortened to 18 days due to various considerations. With Ramadan approaching, vendors are somewhat concerned about visitor turnout and sales. However, they remain hopeful that sales will increase once stall preparations are complete and the holiday mood intensifies.
Publishers said holidays are extremely important for them. Like previous years, they expect good sales on Fridays and Saturdays, though there is some concern about the impact of Ramadan.
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According to the fair schedule, the event runs daily from 2:00pm to 9:00pm, while on holidays it remains open from 11:00am to 9:00pm. Children’s Hour is being observed every Friday and Saturday from 11:00am to 1:00pm.
Meanwhile, the main stage of the fair hosts thematic seminars daily from 3:00pm to 4:00pm, followed by cultural programmes from 4:00pm to 5:00pm.