Dhaka: The Ekushey Book Fair attracted a huge crowd on Thursday after the disruption following yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) hailstorm that washed out a number of stalls and damaged huge books.

Many stalls were packed with book readers and buyers though some places remained muddy due to the rain.

Publishers were very unhappy with the loss due to sudden rain.  Talking to UNB they expressed hope that the losses caused by the storm could be fulfilled if the sale gets the momentum for the rest of the fair.

Ekhlsur Rahman, a university student, who visited the fair to see water-soaked books kept under the sunlight in front of some of the affected stalls, suggested that the authorities ought to take some preparation to prevent such losses.

‘We have not yet estimated the loss. But it is a good lesson for us. We will be more careful about the weather in the future, said Jalal Ahmed, a member of the Ekushey Book Fair management committee.

Meanwhile, to make up the loss, Bangle Academy has changed the schedule of the fair. The fair will be open from 10:00am instead of 11:00am on Friday and Saturday, and at 2:00pm instead of 3:00pm on Sunday and Monday.

Some 74 book hit in fair the 25^th day of the fair on Thursday.  A discussion, titled “Rise of Women in Bangladesh: Problems and Possibilities’, was held as scheduled on the main stage at the Bangla Academy premises, and the discussion was followed by cultural performances.