Dhaka: The Amar Ekushey Granthamela has turned into a festival as the month-long mega extravaganza has become an excellent knowledge sharing platform of authors, researchers and book lovers. 

This year's book fair that began Wednesday already has drawn a huge number of weekend crowds for the two consecutive holidays soaring sales of books on different genres of literature and other areas of knowledge. 

The stall attendants were seen busy dealing with the visitors and big smiles flashed on the face of the publishers as the holiday crowds flocked to different stalls and pavilions.

With the first two hours from 11am dedicated to kids as children's hour on every Friday and Saturday during the book fair, children with their parents and elderly people of their families came and had a fun while browsing books, fair sources said. 

They said the organizers of the fair arranged different programmes including essay writings, painting, discussion and cultural function for children on the occasion of children's hour. 

Children mainly thronged different stalls and many of them were seen buying books on fairy tales, ghosts, puzzles, alphabets, cartoons and comic books. 

Professor Dr Ratan Siddique said, "The Amar Ekushey Book has now become a festival of all ages of people. This is a great success of the book fair." 

Recalling his memories about the book fair during his early life, he said, "This book fair was held in a limited scale..... Gradually the fair is widening its scale because of huge response of writers, book lovers and publishing houses." 

The people of all ages eagerly keep waiting for the fair throughout year to buy new books of their favorite writers, share and exchange on literary works, Dr Ratan added. 

Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi has set up a stall on the premises of Bangla Academy to highlight its countrywide activities, Arif Noor of Udichi told BSS. 

Udichi has launched a month-long "Bhasha Avijatra" yesterday (February 3) aiming to introduce Bangla language for all official uses. "We are launching our campaign to promote universal uses of Bangla language from our stall at the book fair." 

At the book fair, the four-day literature conference ended today. A large number of local and foreign writers, poets and researchers attended it. 

Professor Dong You Chen, a Chinese researcher and translator on Rabindranath Tagore's works, Austrian Menfred Kebo, Luz Maria Lopez from Puerto Rica, German writer Tobaias Burghard, among others, addressed different sessions of the literary conference. 

Prof. Dong You Chen said, "Literary works of Rabindranath Tagore are not only for Bangla speaking people, these are also for whole mankind of the universe as his extra-ordinary creative works contain deep knowledge and messages for the well-being of the people."

The works of Rabindranath Tagore has reflected profound love for Bangladesh, he said adding, "Tagore thought Bangladesh was his motherland. For this, he had written "Amar Sonar Bangla, Ami Tomai Bhalobasi" 

Luz Maria Lopez said, "I am deeply touched with impressive creative works of Rabindranath Tagore. I want to know Bangla literature and culture. That is why I have come to Bangladesh as a participant of Ekushey Book Fair." 

Chinmoy Guha said, "I am thrilled as a participant of this book fair. Bangladesh was born as a result of profound love and huge sacrifices for Bangla language." 

Echoing huge love for Bangla literature, other foreign writers said this book fair could be an excellent platform for all people with different languages.

Apart from Bangla Academy premises, around 400,000 square feet area on Suhrawardy Udyan have been earmarked for the fair, Bangla Academy Director General Shamsuzzaman Khan told BSS. 

The Suhrawardy Udyan has been decorated with 12 divisions. Some 663 units have been allotted to 409 institutions at the academy and on Suhrawardy Udyan premises. 

Besides, 14 publishing houses including Bangla Academy got 15 pavilions covering an area of total 6,000 square feet. Some 100 little magazines have been allocated spaces at the Little Magazine Corner, south side of Burdwan House on the academy premises.