For the Love of Books and Knowledge

Photo: Prabir Das

Entering into this year's Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela will give you an exciting surprise. Just beside the entrance to the historic Suhrawardi Uddyan, this year's venue of the book fair, you will see a very familiar name which actually starts every morning of your life with news and views from all over the world. Yes, you will see the good old name of “The Daily Star” written in classical English text as usual, placed appropriately beside the entrance to the country's largest festival of knowledge, culture and intelligentsia.

This year for the first time The Daily Star has adorned the book fair with its thriving publication house “Daily Star Books” with packs of new publications both in English and Bengali. Launched in 2013, Star Books created a stir among the national and international readers with its groundbreaking debut publication “Beyond the Lines,” the autobiography of the veteran Indian journalist, author and human rights activist Kuldip Nayar. Thanks to Nayar's account and evaluation  on the partition of Indian subcontinent, his experience with the activities of Indian government high ups during Bangladesh's liberation war and onwards, his account on his momentous career as a journalist, diplomat and rights activist, this priceless publication has been acclaimed all over the world.

After this gracious beginning, Daily Star Books continued to launch quality books and quickly become a reputed publication house in Bangladesh. During the 15th anniversary of The Daily Star, it launched an anthology of English stories written by Bangladeshi writers. This unique initiative opened the door for international readers to taste the literary jewels of Bangladesh.

A comment regarding this publication by Mahfuz Anam, the editor of The Daily Star rightly explains the mission of this creative enterprise, “By encouraging younger Bangladeshis to write in English, by providing them with a forum where they can publish their pieces, by helping to spread the corollary values of literacy, good citizenship, and cosmopolitanism, we help our nation to march forward.”

In 2015, Daily Star Books launched an invaluable book titled “From Two Economies to Two Nations: My Journey to Bangladesh” by renowned scholar Rehman Sobhan on his thoughts and experiences regarding the liberation movement of Bangladesh and an anthology of stories and essays by Abul Mansur Ahmad, one of the pioneering leaders of independent Bangladesh.  

It's original and extra ordinary publications have unveiled many lost historical truths, given the readers a broader outlook about the nation and inspired a pool of brilliant Bangladeshi writers by creating a strong platform for them. With fiction, travelogues, critical essays, autobiographies of world renowned personalities, pure literature and translations, Star Books has given the readers of Bangladesh a rich collection of excellent books with very affordable and accessible price without compromising with the global quality.
Ahmede Mainul Hussain, the current head of Daily Star Books says, “We have had a long journey since 2013. In the last years' Dhaka Festival, Daily Star Books was the top selling publisher. It is a remarkable feat as some of the top publishers had also participated in it. ”
“This year we are going to launch seven new books, four Bengali and three English. Besides these, all of our publications, recent and old, will also be available at our stall in the book fair,” he adds.

Visiting Ekushey Book Fair feels like meeting and talking with the literary soul of Bangladesh. However, to make the best of this festival, you must buy some books that can nourish your mind and quench your thirst for knowledge and for this; the stall of Daily Star Books can be the best place for you.