For the first time in 28 years, Bangladesh has not been listed as a participating country in the schedule of the Kolkata International Book Fair, which was released on Friday.

Since 1996, when the Sheikh Hasina government first took office in Bangladesh, the country has been a regular participant in every edition of the book fair.

In 1999, Hasina herself attended the fair when Bangladesh was the theme country. 

There was no break in tradition between 2001 and 2008, when Bangladesh was governed for five years by Begum Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party and was then under military rule, until Hasina was back in the PM’s chair in 2009. 

Guild president Tridib Chatterjee said they had not yet received any instruction from Centre on Bangladesh’s participation. “Given the current situation, until we get any instruction from the govt, we cannot say anything about Bangladesh’s participation,” he said.

As of now, countries participating in the book fair include the UK, US, France, Italy, Spain, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, with Germany as theme country for the first time. The 48th Kolkata International Book Fair (KIBF), organised by Publishers and Booksellers Guild, will be held between Jan 28 and Feb 9 at Salt Lake. 

Like previous years, CM Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the book fair. 

It is largely believed that the Kolkata Book Fair, which started in 1976, was inspired by Frankfurt Book Fair. 

Source: The Times of India

BDST: 1704 HRS, NOV 16, 2024
MN/SMS