On Sunday, the first work day of the week, visitors and sales decreased while new titles rose, said the salespersons at the fairground.
A total of 42 new titles were published on the fourth day of the fair, according to academy officials.
A sales person of Bangla Academy at the Suhrawardy Udyan said that the sales and visitors both were decreasing as the heat was gradually increasing in the summer time.
‘Mostly children and their parents did not come to the ground today, so most of the stalls were visitor-less or empty during the day, but after Iftar, some visitors – mostly young people – visited the fairground,’ he said, adding that at noon, with high temperature and fasting in the Ramadan, visitors avoid the Udyan premise.
Agamee Prakashani sales executive Amirul Islam said that while visitors arrived in throngs and sales began strongly during the first two days, Sunday was almost devoid of sales.
‘Today, we bring five new books, mostly consisting of Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam’s lyrical poems and the use of the Bengali language in legal matters,’ he said, adding that he hoped visitors would increase day by day.
The University Press Limited and Bishwo Shahitto Kendro salespeople also noted that as of today, both visitor presence and sales were significantly low.
The Bishwo Shahitto Kendro stall coordinator said that their members visited the fairground regularly and brought a massive collection under the title Bangalir Chintamulok Rochona Sangraha, comprising 209 books across 16 subjects.
A discussion on renowned Bangladeshi sculptor and painter Hamiduzzaman Khan was held at the main stage of the fairground in the afternoon.
Teacher of the sculpture department of Dhaka University Nasimul Khabir Duke delivered the keynote address, while sculptor Ivy Zaman spoke at the event chaired by curator and educationist Lala Rukh Selim.
Writer ABM Sohel Rashid spoke at an event titled Ami Lekhak Balchi at the Suhrawardy Udyan premises in the evening.
A discussion on famous novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay would be held today.
This year’s fair will last only 18 days, but it is usually a month-long event held throughout February.
