The government will develop a cultural zone in the capital to help future generations understand the real culture and history of the country.

The zone would comprise Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said while inaugurating the month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair, 2010 at Bangla Academyyesterday.

She stressed the historic and cultural importance of the zone that next generations should know.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for the country's independence in his historic March 7 speech at Suhrawardy Udyan and eventually Pakistani occupation forces surrendered here in 1971, the premier said.

She also inaugurated the Language Movement Museum at the academy's Bardhaman Bhaban yesterday and later visited different stalls.

The prime minister said the government is working on introducing Bangla as one of the official languages of the United Nations.

"I have already made the demand at the General Assembly of the United Nations," she said.

The government is also working to preserve the rights of mother language of the country's ethnic minority groups and has resumed construction of the International Mother Language Institute to this end, she added.

She urged all to buy and read books. The publishers should publish books of new writers to encourage them, she added.

Bangla Academy Chairman National Professor Kabir Chowdhury chaired the programme while Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad, State Minister for Cultural Affairs Promode Mankin, Bangla Academy Director General Shamsuzzaman Khan and President of Bangladesh Gayn o Srijonshil Prokashak Samity Mohiuddin Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.

The fair having a total of 505 stalls will remain open from 3:00pm to 9:00pm daily while 11:00am to 9:00pm on holidays and 8:00am to 10:00pm on February 21, the International Mother Language Day.

Parts of the fair premises have been named after Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Dhirendranath Dutta, Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad and Begum Rokeya while the corners for children and little magazine have been named after poet Sufia Kamal and writer Somen Chanda.

A good number of stalls, however, could not open as a few number of books came out on the first day that resulted in less participation of people.