Under the slogan “We stand firm in the ideals of Bangabandhu, Bangladesh, and the Liberation War,” the two-day Bangabandhu International Book Fair is set to begin on Saturday, May 24 at 11 a.m. in New York. The event will take place at Joya Party Hall, located at 63108 Woodhaven Boulevard, Rego Park, NY 11374.
Despite the short notice due to time constraints, organizers have confirmed that the fair will feature 11 book stalls. The event will be inaugurated by two respected expatriate personalities, Syed Mohammad Ullah and Belal Beg. Freedom fighters residing abroad will also be present at the opening ceremony.
The organizing committee is led by Dr. Nurun Nabi as convener, with Tajul Imam, Lutfunnahar Lata, Mithun Ahmed, Annie Ferdous, Minhaj Ahmed Sammo, and Fakir Elias serving as joint conveners. Swikriti Barua is the member secretary, with Gopal Sannal as the joint member secretary. Fakir Elias is coordinating the media-related activities, supported by Lablu Ansar, Aslam Khan, Omar Ali, and Abdul Hamid. The finance committee is coordinated by Abdul Kader Mia, with assistance from Zakaria Chowdhury, Engineer Md. Fazlul Haque, and Kamal Hossain Mithu. Gopal Sannal is also in charge of the stall committee, assisted by Pankaj Talukdar and Jayturz Chowdhury.
Minhaj Ahmed is coordinating the seminar segment with support from Fakir Elias, while the cultural programs are being managed by Annie Ferdous under the advisory of Tajul Imam. Tahrina Preeti and Sabina Sharmin Niru are also involved in this segment. Nilufar Jahan is overseeing children’s events with assistance from Parvin Sultana, Cecilia Moral Arju, and Kaniz Hosna Akbari. The recitation segment is being advised by Mithun Ahmed and coordinated by Gopan Saha, with Dr. Bilkis Ahmed Dola, Sabina Sharmin Niru, Swadhin Majumder, and Mumu Ansari participating.
Manjur Kader is coordinating the self-composed poetry session, with contributions from Mishuk Selim, Khaled Sharafuddin, and Abu Sayeed Ratan. The book launch and discussion segment is being coordinated by G. H. Arju, joined by Naznin Simon and Farhana Elias Tuli. The reception committee is being managed by Rowshanara Nipa, with Sutapa Mondal and Jharna Chowdhury. Stage decoration is under the guidance of Tajul Imam and coordinated by Milton Ahmed, supported by Azizul Islam Tarif, Tipu Alam, and Pankaj Talukdar. Aykub Ali Mithu is overseeing media, archive, and art exhibitions.
Various sessions throughout the fair will be hosted by Swadhin Majumder, Sabina Sharmin Niru, Gopan Saha, and Manjur Kader.
According to the organizers, writers, poets, literary figures, journalists, and artists from different parts of Canada and the United States are expected to participate in the fair. It is noteworthy that many individuals who have long been associated with the Muktodhara-organized book fair in New York are now joining this new initiative. New and emerging writers, poets, and artists are also participating, united by the ideals behind the Bangabandhu International Book Fair.
Commentators have noted that through this fair, members of the diaspora—deeply inspired by the spirit of Bangladesh’s Liberation War—are once again rising to resist the ongoing conspiracies of the defeated forces of 1971: Razakar, Al-Badr, Al-Shams, and Jamaat-Shibir.