Low turnout at Ekushey Book Fair, sellers upset

DU Correspondent
The Amar Ekushey Boimela (Book Fair), one of the most cherished cultural events of the year, is currently underway on the Bangla Academy premises and Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital. However, the fair is yet to gain its usual momentum, as the number of visitors and buyers remains comparatively low.
As a result, the sellers and publishing houses said book sales in the fair are far below their expectations due to lack of anticipated buyers. They noted that the ongoing Ramadan and the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festival shifted people's focus towards shopping in markets rather than buying books.
A visit to the fairgrounds on Thursday afternoon revealed that many sellers were passing time idly and waiting for customers. While some sellers said their sales were moderate, others expressed utter disappointment.
Nazrul Islam, cash manager at Bidya Prokashoni, said, "Our sales are barely enough to cover the cost of buying iftar for our sales staff. Last Friday, which was a holiday, we made our highest sales of around Tk 5,000. Since then, sales have dropped sharply. If this trend continues, it will be difficult to keep the stall open."
Tariqul Islam, who is in-charge of accounts at Adarsha Prokashoni, said the impact of Ramadan and the upcoming Eid is clearly visible. "Sales are much lower than expected. For a long time before and after iftar, almost no customers visit the stalls," he said.
Anannya Roy, a salesperson at Nagori Prokashoni, said their stall was doing relatively better compared to some large publishers. "Although sales are lower than expected, we are managing reasonably well," she said.

Jabed Omar, a salesperson at Mowla Brothers, said their highest sale was about Tk 30,000 on last Friday, while sales on other days were much lower.
Protyay Pal, a salesperson at Mizan Prokashoni, said the current situation might worsen after March 10, as many people would start travelling to their village homes ahead of the Eid.
"People will prioritise Eid shopping and budgeting, so buying books may not be their priority," he added.
Ashraf Hossain Shimanto, a seller at Muktodhara Prokashoni, said while they manage to sell one or two books occasionally, they often have to wait for long without any customers.
"In the previous years, stalls were crowded in the afternoon, but that scene is much less visible this year," he said.
In such a situation, many sellers are feeling frustrated. Some of them said if the situation continues like this, the publishers may not keep their stalls open until the end of the fair.
Nazrul Islam, account manager of Bidya Prokashoni, said, "We've already heard that some publishers are considering removing their stalls. We are still waiting with the hope that things will improve. If there is no improvement, we will have to pack everything up."
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