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last two years. We hope to recover from the previous years’ losses this year,” Anyaprokash CEO Mazharul Islam told The Daily Star.

“We are also trying hard to keep the price in check amid the increasing costs of papers and publishing materials,” he added.

However, the opening day saw the fair as an under-prepared one. Over 50 stalls were not open on the first day. Many stalls had garbage and setting materials such as wood and plastic scattered all over the premises.

The actual number of books was not announced by Bangla Academy’s information centre. Among the many books that have been released on the opening day were -- Sheikh Hasina’s “Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa, Amar Maa’” (Charulipi Prokashon), Harishankar Jaldas’s “Karna” (Kathaprokash), Akbar Ali Khan’s “Mujibnagar Sarker o Bortoman Bangladesh”, Anisul Hoque’s “Parijater Jonno Valobasha” (Prothoma), and Mauli Azad’s ‘Egaler Chokh” (Agami).