DHAKA : The Amar Ekushey Granthamela-2017, which began on Wednesday, yesterday drew a large number of weekend crowds including children 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 holyday crowd flocked to different stalls and pavilions. With the first two hours from 11am to 1pm dedicated to kids as children’s hour, children’s presence was remarkable in the morning, while the number of visitors of all ages increased as the children’s hours ended.

The number of arrival of new books is 130 today while covers of 15 new books were unveiled at the book fair, a press release of Bangla Academy said.

On the third day of the four-day literature conference, five seminars on different aspects of literature were held.

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 publication 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.

Children corner at the Suhrawardy Udyan has been decorated gorgeously with colorful lightings and toys of children this year like the previous years. During the month-long fair, every Friday and Saturday will be observed as Shishu Prohor (children hour).

About the prices of books, the Bangla Academy DG said 30 percent commission will be given on books published by the academy while 25 percent commission on books published by others.

Two main entry gates have been erected at Teacher-Students’ Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University and Doyel Chattar while three gates will be at Bangla Academy and eight gates at Suhrawardy Udyan as entry and exit points.

Stringent security, including closed-circuit camera surveillance, has been taken to avert any untoward incident during the fair.