Emran Mahfuz

The literary giant deserved the honour years ago

Following autocracy's fall, debates on the constitution, elections, & democracy intensify, echoing Abul Mansur Ahmad's insights.

On the brink of victory in 1971, as the masses fought for freedom, Pakistanis stained December 14 with the blood of the nation’s leading educators, journalists, doctors, and writers. Since then, the day has been marked as Intellectuals’ Day, a reminder that true intellectuals, regardless of their beliefs, fearlessly speak and write the truth against injustice.

A large number of contemporary writers in the country think of avoiding politics. But that itself is also a kind of politics—the politics of the status quo.

The crux of the issue is whether or not good books are reaching the intended readers.

This is how the gradual exchange of literature and culture takes place.

"The enthusiasm which Ranajit Guha created in our minds in the field of thinking and writing history for more than a decade has never been replicated in the past nor will it be replicated in the future", Dipesh Chakraborty said.

Operation Jackpot was the first—and allegedly best—campaign of naval commandos during the Liberation War of 1971, a deadly blow against the Pakistani invasion forces carried out on August 16, 1971.

A library containing more than 7702 periodicals, encyclopedias and books on literature, religion, poetry, science and economics—all wasting away from neglect.

Publishers are fearing that the number of readers as well as buyers will gradually decrease. 

Helal Hafiz has been suffering from glaucoma for a long time, alongside complications with his kidney, diabetes and nerve complications.

As a visionary and an intellectual, Abul Mansur Ahmad was far ahead of his time.

Renowned novelist Selina Hossain, after retiring as the director of the Bangla Academy, has recently been reappointed as its chairperson. In a conversation with Emran Mahfuz of The Daily Star, she talks about the academy, the Ekushey Book Fair, society, culture and more.

Professor Rafiqul Islam was a writer, linguist, researcher and an educationist. He was the first Nazrul professor and director of Nazrul Research Institute at the Bangla department of Dhaka University (DU).

Very few visitors were seen on the last day of the Boi Mela yesterday, it being a working day.

The results of the essay competition organised by Gyantapas Abdur Razzak Foundation, conducted virtually through Zoom, were announced on April 5. Each of the winners has been awarded with certificates and cash prizes.

Sales are starting to look up at the Boi Mela compared to the beginning of the lockdown. More visitors, most wearing face masks, were seen at the book fair premises yesterday given the availability of public transport.

As per government mandated instructions, the Ekushey Boi Mela opened at 12 pm today while the rest of the city observed a lockdown. No visitors were seen at the entrance for the first 45 minutes of opening.

The Ekushey Boi Mela, which was inaugurated on March 18, 2021, is stretching out across an expanded space of 1500,000 sq ft to accommodate the 834 stalls allocated to 540 organisations this year.

Minar Mansur, the current director of the National Book Centre (Jatiya Grantha Kendro), was born on July 20, 1960 in the Barlia village of Chittagong.