Dhaka: As many as 109 new books hit the Amar Ekushey Granthamela on the 8th day of the month-long mega extravaganza that began on February 1.

This year's book fair already has so far drawn a huge number of visitors soaring sales of books on different genres of literature and other areas of knowledge.

The stall attendants were seen busy dealing with the visitors and smiles flashed on the face of the publishers as the fair is gradually getting momentum.

At the book fair, covers of 14 new books were unveiled today, a press release of Bangla Academy said.

Seminars on different aspects of literatures and cultures are being held every day at the main stage of the granthamela, Bangla Academy sources said. Cultural programme is also being held in the evening every day.

Professor Dr Ratan Siddique said, "The Amar Ekushey Book Fair has now become a festival of all ages of people. This is a great success of the fair." 

Recalling his memories about the book fair during his early life, he said, "This book fair used to hold in a limited scale. But gradually the fair is widening its space because of huge response of writers, book lovers and publishing houses."

The people of all ages eagerly keep waiting for the fair throughout the year to buy new books of their favorite writers, share and exchange on literary works, Dr Ratan added. 

At the book fair, the four-day literature conference ended on February 4. A large number of local and foreign writers, poets and researchers attended it.

Professor Dong You Chen, a Chinese researcher and translator on Rabindranath Tagore's works, Austrian Menfred Kebo, Luz Maria Lopez from Puerto Rica, German writer Tobaias Burghard, among others, addressed different sessions of the literary conference.

Apart from Bangla Academy premises, around 400,000 square feet area on Suhrawardy Udyan have been earmarked for the fair, Bangla Academy Director General Shamsuzzaman Khan told BSS. 

The Suhrawardy Udyan has been decorated with 12 divisions. Some 663 units have been allotted to 409 institutions at the academy and at Suhrawardy Udyan. 

Besides, 14 publishing houses including Bangla Academy got 15 pavilions covering an area of 6,000 square feet. Some 100 little magazines have been allocated spaces at the Little Magazine Corner, south side of Burdwan House of the academy.