Contrary to the early signs, the fourth Dhaka Boi Mela, normally deemed as a prelude to the more adored annual arrangement of Ekushey Boi Mela at the Bangla Academy premises, ended last Tuesday with a note of success. The slogan for this year was ‘Books for Children’. The kind of disarray the organiser of the event — Jatiya Grantha Kendra — seemed to be in at the outset few book lovers looked forward to the holding of this 15 day fair at all. In the end the organisers pulled it off quite nicely. Many of whom this fortnight-long bookfest at the Chandrima Uddyan attracted reportedly made it a point to pay a second visit — definitely a savoury revelation for the organisers; but does it have any impact in ensuring the future of a more or less easily accessible place for the fair?

Not any that we are informed of. In fact, for all the eventual success of the fourth book fair the future of the next one does not look any brighter. We believe this has got a lot do with the lack of drive on the part of the organisers. This was evident in the fair itself, say, in the poor quality of the souvenir marking the occasion. We draw the attention of the ministry concerned in this respect. Instead of simply gracing the Inaugural and concluding ceremonies of functions the State Minister for Culture and Sports would do well to use the weight of his office to fix the problems that dog organisers in similar ventures.