Kolkata: Bangladesh day was celebrated on Sunday (Feb. 9), the last day of the 44th Kolkata Book Fair. On the occasion a seminar titled 'Bangabandhu in his birth centenary and Sonar Bangla' was held at the fair premises. Bangladesh State Minister for Culture KM Khalid was present. Also present as special guest was West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services and Forestry Department Minister Sujit Basu.
The State Minister of Culture of Bangladesh said, “The best Bangalee of thousand years Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was on the side of the oppressed until the last day of his life. The country he dreamt of building was very scientific. His cherished is going to be materialized by his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
An International Book Fair is going to be held in Bangladesh in the last week of next November in connection with the birth centenary of Bangabandhu. In that fair other countries of the world including India and West Bengal publishing companies are also invited to participate.
In 2021 in the international book fair of Kolkata, Bangladesh will be theme country. Bangladesh will be the first country to be the theme country for third time. This year, the Bangladesh Pavilion at the Kolkata Book Fair was set in the appearance of Bangladesh Bhavan in Biswabharati.
President of the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild, Tridib Chatterjee, said, "The two Bengals have a close relationship. At the same time, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became an idol in the Indian subcontinent. His speech not only inspired East Bengal, but also inspired the two Bengals. West Bengal will be participating in the book fair organized in Bangladesh next November commemorating the birth centenary of Bangabandhu.
At the end of the seminar, the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission organized a pleasant cultural event. After the ceremony, guests visited the entire book fair and Bangladesh Pavilion.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, noted historian Gautam Bhadra of West Bengal, Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay, president of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, Farid Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Knowledge and Publications Association, Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner Towfiq Hassan, president of Book Publication association Arif Hossain, Bangla Academy DG Habibullah Siraji, Cultural Affairs Ministry Secretary Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, National Museum Trustee Board President Shamsuzzaman Khan, Asaduzzaman Noor MP, Asim Kumar Ukil MP, West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Affairs Minister Sujit Basu were present at the time.
The 44th International Kolkata Book Fair started on January 28 at the Central Park of Salt Lake. As the last day of the fair was a weekly holiday there was huge rush of visitors in the fair.