Throughout history, many noble souls have worked to make this world a better place. Some have won wars, some have advanced medicine, while others have taken literature, culture, education, and the arts to new heights.
Their remarkable achievements are recorded in the pages of history, granting them immortality. But have we ever considered that we can engage with them, converse with them, and learn about their lives, struggles, and successes?
We can hear their words firsthand—through books. Books keep these great minds alive, just like us, the living.
Through books, we can meet Socrates and Plato, Dante and Marlowe, Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw, Bentham, Mill, Marx, and even 20th-century intellectuals like Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Sigmund Freud, Yuval Noah Harari, or Noam Chomsky.
Books are not lifeless objects; rather, they are unparalleled creations and invaluable treasures of human civilization. A great book embodies the soul of a great mind. It is an inseparable symbol of human thought and creativity.
This is why reading is humanity’s most precious asset. Books broaden our perspectives and enrich our lives like nothing else can.
Sukumar Ray’s childhood nickname was “Tata.” As a child, he invented a game called Rag Banai (Making Up Anger). If he was upset with someone but could not retaliate, he would say, “Come, let’s make up some anger,” and then create amusing stories about that person.
These stories contained no malice, hatred, or intent to harm—only humor. Through this game, his anger would dissolve.
This is a lesson not just for children but for people of all ages. Such valuable lessons can only be learned through books. But the real question is: Are we reading? And if we are, what are we reading?
Starting today, the month-long book fair has begun. The purpose of this beloved event is to reconnect readers with books and to bring them back into the world of literature.
The Ekushey Book Fair is a celebration of our emotions, a festival where we exchange thoughts and feelings. This year’s fair, themed "The July Uprising: Building a New Bangladesh," will continue throughout the month.
As always, the fairgrounds of Bangla Academy will be flooded with writers, publishers, and readers. Beyond its role in promoting education and culture, the book fair also has significant economic importance.
However, one aspect that should be brought to the attention of the organizers is the inclusion of more foreign books. The month of February has elevated the status of our Bengali language to an international level—it is now a language recognized across the world.
No language can be confined within borders. Therefore, the February book fair should embrace a more international approach, expanding its reach beyond Bangladesh. The organizers should make arrangements to reflect this vision.
Let this year’s book fair be vibrant and dynamic. Let the fairgrounds be filled with mountains of books. May the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025 be a grand success.