In pictures: Exploring the Bangladesh pavilion at the Kolkata book fair

The 45th International Kolkata Book Fair, on till March 13, is celebrating Bangladesh as the country of focus, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Publications from over 50 publishers from Bangladesh are housed in the Bangladesh pavilion

The pavilion is dedicated to statesman and Bangladesh’s founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Numerous titles commemorating his life and work are housed in the stalls

Included in the many tomes is a detailed four-part series titled ‘The Agartala Conspiracy Case’ compiled by Sheikh Hasina, which details the proceedings against Rahman

A standee put up by Bangladesh’s Department of Archaeology highlights the many Tagore memorials in that country, including Tagore’s father-in-law’s home in Khulna and the Rabindra Kuthibari in Kushtia. Republished works of the bard are among the best-sellers

Collections on films are also a popular genre. Among the titles are many on the evolution of cinema in Bangladesh and some on international cinema like this volume (right) on French filmmaker Francois Truffaut by Bangladeshi poet-translator-activist Rudra Arif

Another popular genre is translated works. There are Bengali translations of popular and award-winning titles including an anthology of Sherlock Holmes stories

Children’s books are a popular part of the book fair every year, and it is no different in the Bangladesh pavilion, with patrons showing interest in Bengali literature for kids

Among the crowd favourites are popular Bengali authors including Humayun Azad, Humayun Ahmed and Taslima Nasrin