RANGPUR, March 25, 2022 (BSS) - Literary and cultural personalities at a function here have called for reading books to enhance awareness by removing ignorance and become enlightened citizens for building a knowledge-based peaceful society.
 
They viewed this at the inaugural ceremony of a nine-day Rangpur Book Fair- 2022 organised by Sommilito Lekhok Samaj, Rangpur (SLSR) on the Town Hall Baddhyabhumi ground in the city on Thursday afternoon.
 
A total of 16 stalls have been set up on the fair premises by different publication houses and literary organisations.
 
The visitors can purchase novels, story books and collections of poems, books for the children and other popular books recently displayed in the Ekushey Book Fair-2022 in the capital city.
 
Mayor of Rangpur Md. Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa inaugurated the fair by cutting ribbon in the launching ceremony as the chief guest with Convener of fair organising sub-committee Manjil Murad Lavlu in the chair.
 
Moderated by Member-secretary of the fair organising sub-committee Rezaul Karim Jiban, Cultural Affairs Secretary of district Awami League Advocate Atik Ul Alam Kallol, its Advisers heroic freedom fighter Akbor Hossain, Dr. Mafizul Islam Maantu, Professor Mohammad Shah Alam, Rangpur Press Club President Mahbub Rahman, President of Rangpur Shahityya- Sangskritik Parishad Swattik Al Maruf and President of Jatiya Kobita Parishad Brazo Gopal Roy addressed the function.
 
The speakers said the book fair would create interests among people, especially young generations, in book-reading, literary and cultural activities.
 
The chief guest stressed on arranging such book fairs frequently to generate interests among common people by bridging them with books.
 
"Everybody should read books to become enlightened citizens for building a prosperous nation with knowledgeable citizens having human virtues," he said, adding that there is no alternative to reading books for acquiring knowledge.
 
Talking to BSS today, member-secretary of the fair organising sub-committee Rezaul Karim Jiban said the book fair will remain open daily for all from 3 pm to 9 pm.