Creative stalls livenup book fair

From a distance, it appears like a dilapidated and abandoned shop. Broken signboards, damaged grills and scattered papers have been deliberately arranged to create the appearance of decay.
Inside the stall, portraits of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam have been placed as symbolic figures of literary heritage. Through this unusual design, the publisher of Bidyananda Publishing aims to raise awareness about literary piracy and the misuse of written content on social media platforms.
A number of such creatively designed stalls are drawing the attention of visitors at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 amid a significant drop in the number of attractive stalls this year.
Talking to the Daily Sun, Manjur Alam Robi, manager of Bidyananda Publishing, said that the stall was designed to send a symbolic message.
“If piracy is not stopped, it will become difficult for writers to survive. And if writers cannot survive, literature itself will struggle to survive,” he said.
“Nowadays large portions or key ideas from books are often shared on social media platforms. Although such sharing may promote a book initially, it ultimately reduces readers’ interest in purchasing it. As a result, both authors and publishers suffer financially,” he added.
Decorated with aesthetic craftsmanship, diverse themes and unique construction styles, many stalls at the book fair have become popular gathering points where visitors take photographs, browse books and purchase their favourite titles.
However, publishers say the number of visually striking stalls is comparatively lower this year due to limited preparation time and organisational constraints.
A visit to the fairgrounds revealed that several stalls, including Ayan Prakashan, Pata Prakash, Jagatik Prakashan, Matra Prakash, Anarja Publication and Bishwa Sahitya Kendra are attracting visitors with their distinctive designs and thematic presentations.
Among them, the stall of Pata Prakash stands out for its entirely bamboo and rattan construction, which gives the structure an elegant and natural appearance.
Sanjay Datta, publisher of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra, said, “Every year we organise our stalls on a larger scale with pavilions. But this time we did not get a pavilion. Preparation time was also too short to come up with serious themes,”
Ayan Prakash has also drawn attention with a stall filled with artistic elements like decorative butterflies, birds, wooden sculptures, human figures and symbolic items related to the Liberation War.
Jagatik Prakash has adopted a thematic presentation by depicting various scenes from the Liberation War and democratic movements through graphic illustrations. The unique visual storytelling has encouraged many visitors to stop by the stall and take photographs.

Tahmida Akhter, a salesperson at Ayan Publishing, said the creative concept behind their stall came from publisher Mitu Kabir.
Meanwhile, a stall set up by the Department of Archaeology, Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh, has been constructed in the style of the historic Atia Mosque in Tangail. This architectural imitation has become another attraction of the fair, drawing visitors interested in both heritage and design.
Bookworms exploring the fair say that such creative stalls have significantly enhanced the aesthetic appeal of the event. Many visitors are taking photographs in front of these stalls and then entering them to explore the books on display.
While taking a selfie in front of a stall, Aroni Rahman, a visitor, said, “Creatively designed stalls definitely add a different dimension, offering an opportunity to think about serious issues and of course to take photographs.”