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An oasis under the Bahera tree

The Little Magazine Corner at the Amar Ekushey Granthamela

Nadia Sarwat
The Bangla Academy authority has officially recognised the 'Little Magazine Corner', popularly known as die 'Bahera Tola', at the " 'Amar Ekushey Granthamela'. Any Hide magazine publisher with at least diree publications can have a stall (if it would be called so) at this corner under the aged Bahera tree. With the sponsorship of BRAC Bank, Bangla Academy has also offered screen-printed banners to the stall owners.
Right under the Bahera tree next to the extended building of the Academy, die 'Littie Magazine Comer' at the book fair is like an oasis for those who refuse to let the establishment rule over literature. The alternative literary groups with all their individualistic approaches draw a frontier here, differentiating themselves from the commercial publishers.
Lots of readers and literature enthusiasts, mostiy the young, gather here in search of the little magazines and their publications. This year, 22 stalls, not more than twelve feet in length, in two circles have their publications in the corner. The registration fee for these stalls is Tk 500 each, the amount being Tk 5000 for the„ commercial publishers.
Sudhyo Shwar, Gandeeb.o Protishilpo, Shaluk, Shobdopath, ? Drostobyo, Ogrobeej, Amitrakkhar, Lok, Drostobyo, Shinrdara, Danrkaak, Nishorgo, Megh, Bratyo, Charbaak, Ullekh, Godyo, Ekobingsho, Kadakhoncha, Amitrakkhar and many more, some of them being active for almost two decades, have their stalls at the fair, featuring their recent and previous publications.
"Over all, the littie magazine community welcomed the initiative taken by Bangla Academy, though the rule of having at least three publications has barred many little magazines like Agrobeej to apply for a stall here,” said the visiting Toronto-based writer Saad Kamali, editor of the littie magazine Agrobeej which has brought out two publications so far.
"The genre of little magazine became inevitable for the committed young and creative writers whose fresh, innovative ideas and honest expressions cannot be
published in the commercial media for their strategic limitations. From the mid '60s, the littie magazine movement found its ground in Bangladesh through the works of Abdullah Abu Sayeed, Jyotiprakash Dutta, Hayat Mamud and others," added Saad Kamali.
Ahmed Nakib, editor of Gandeeb, one of the pioneering little magazines of the country said, "Bangla Academy's new regulation has set an order of sorts in the 'Little Magazine Comer', but as we could sit here before at the previous fairs without any charge," he said.
"The little magazine movement carved a niche for itself in the
country in the '80s particularly, with a socialist point of view. The political change; newstream in the literature and intentions of including tiie thoughts of the marginal-
ised people (not only in the rural community but also in the urban social hemisphere) are very much present in the littie magazine writings.
"A common misconception is that the littie magazine community is averse to publicity. Obviously we want to reach a wider readership, but not through compromising with the profit-hungry commercial publishers," Nakib continued.
Some books from the little magazine publishers at this year's book fair are Japani Shishu, Shohojatri, Ebong Jolbhora Kontho, a collection of short sto-
ries by Tapan Barua; Bagher Ghorey Ghog. a fiction by Selim Morshed; Ghasher Res tor a and Shiler Prokar by Obaid Akash. Phoenix Janam by Bipasha
Mandal; Kostaljia, a collection of poems by Murtala Ramat; Bhut, Bhobishyo, Chabuker Bhasha by Abu Taher Sarfaraz; Shaap O Shurjomukhi by Delwar Hossain Monju and Shoishober Daag by Barkatullah Maruf.
Sakkhatkar Chotusto, a collection of interviews of four renowned film personalities including Writwick Ghatak, by Mohammad Khasru, a pioneer in the Film Society movement in Bangladesh, is also available at the Littie Magazine Comer.
More books and magazines are yet to be published in the last week ofthe'Boimela'.