By Md. Zillur Rahaman

The eternal desire to know the unknown and the unfamiliar is satisfied by reading books. A good book is one of the best way to feed the mind and it increases the scope of human knowledge and a good book awakens the sleeping conscience. If life is to be beautifully developed, to be perfumed, enlightenment is vital and if you want to gain knowledge, there is no alternative to reading books. All the knowledge of the world is hidden in the book, so to enter the realm of knowledge one must read books. To know yourself, to know the world, you must read books. Books are like the ocean, each book is a drop of knowledge. Reading books is a thirst that is not easily quenched, good books only make you want to read more and more.

Indeed, books are the cradle of civilization, the maker of dreams, the darkness of knowledge and man's best friend. No matter how skilled a person is in any profession, no matter how great a scholar or wise, he has to come back to books again and again to achieve excellence in his skills and professionalism. Because the beginning of knowledge starts from the book and he gets the skill to use the knowledge as a whole from the book. All the initial bursts of human contemplative, thoughtful, creative thought begin only through books, that is why books are said to be the main means of learning and the main way to illuminate life with its own light.

You have to get knowledge by reading books. Those who grew up in the world, became famous, read books in search of more knowledge. If you look at the life history of any of the elite thinkers of the world, the truth of this saying is proven. The role of books in the formation of the country and nation is immense. No nation can progress without education and books are essential for the society to spread the light of education and knowledge among people in a simple way.

There is no substitute for books. Books are one of the best means of learning, knowing and gaining knowledge. There are various types of fairs and markets in the world, among these the book fair is the best fair in the world. Because here writers and readers get together, ideas and opinions are exchanged, knowledge spreads, many dream of becoming writers, poets, novelists and many others buy books from book fairs and become famous as scholars. From the book fair, the light of knowledge spread abroad, that is why it is the best fair in the world.

In our country, February is the most favorite month for publishers, writers, readers, children and adults. Because everyone's beloved Amar Ekushe book fair is going on throughout February. Today's independent Bangladesh is a complete product of the spirit of Ekush. Ever since independence, in the spirit of Ekushe, the Amar Ekushe Book Fair has gradually acquired a permanent form in our heart. Immediately after independence, in February 1972, a first seven-day long program was organized at the Bangla Academy to commemorate the martyrs of the language movement. Around that event, Chittaranjan Saha, the publisher of Muktdhara, started the Ekushey Book Fair by spreading jute mats on the Mango Tree (Amtala) in front of Bangla Academy with some books of his publication. Then gradually other publishers started joining this book fair and it gets the perpetual shape.

Then the our Ekushey Book Fair not only grew in scope, but now beyond the Bangla Academy premises it has now become a month-long permanent book fair at Suhrawardy Udyan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the middle, the Amar Ekushey Book Fair of 2021 and 2022 was not spontaneous under various kinds of discipline but now the Amar Ekushey Book Fair is back in full swing with spontaneity.

In short, we have one cultural festival for all our castes, colors and classes and that of course is the Amar Ekushey Book Fair which runs throughout February, that is why publishers, writers and readers look forward to the remaining eleven months for this biggest cultural festival of the country. The most vivid scene of the book fair is books and books everywhere, like an ocean of knowledge, that's why this month-long book fair is everyone's favorite get-together. Children get the most pleasure from going to book fairs. The smell of the new book, the beautiful cover of the new book, the eye-catching binding of the new book, the beautiful writing of the new book, they get a lot of pleasure from looking at these, buying the favorite book. Many people even get food to think about new things from the book fair. Some dream of becoming writers, poets, novelists, that is why Amar Ekushey Book Fair is the life fair of everyone.

When going to the book fair, there is a gathering of writers and readers from all over the country and abroad, many readers are eager to take the autograph of their favorite author and after taking the autograph, they feel a wave of satisfaction. Many get the chance to exchange skills and chat with visiting friends. They get this opportunity only in the month of Amar Ekushe Book Fair. Going to a book fair to see children's unbridled joy with new books is truly enchanting and the greatest joy in the world. Seeing children's happy eyes with a book is an indescribably beautiful sight for any author.

The importance of reading books is also immense. Pramath Chowdhury said, "Only well-educated people are self-educated". People need to read books to be well educated. Only by reading books can man expand his knowledge. Because real education is gained by reading books. By reading books people acquire knowledge as well as awaken their thinking power, logic, intelligence, which is essential for a self-educated person. By reading books, people become familiar with the realm of knowledge. Literary practice is the most important part of education and to practice literature, you have to read books. There is no way without reading the book. To be properly educated requires broadness to avoid narrowness of mind, and that is possible only through the habit of reading books.

Famous writer Syed Mujtaba Ali said, "Bread and wine will run out, but books are eternal youth". To gain knowledge one must read books. Through reading books, people enter the vast kingdom of knowledge and many unknown horizons are revealed. The more you read, the more you know, and the more you learn, the more your eyes change, ability to analyze changes. There is a saying, an uneducated person sees mud only as wet soil and a pair of educated eyes find tiny molecules in the mud. Seventeenth-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza said, "Good food fills the stomach, but good books satisfy the soul." To grow up, you have to dream, and reading books is very important for dreaming.

Reading is one of the healthy recreational and educational activities at the same time. Nothing can be a better friend and entertainment in leisure time than books. Reading activates the mental process, feeds the brain to think, enhances creativity and builds retention. By reading books, people become modern minded with time. Healthy entertainment helps in the mental development of people in many ways. Reading habits are a source of pure entertainment. Reading good books, lifestyle watching good movies, reading biographies of famous personalities, regular reading of newspapers increase skills and mind, similarly knowledge and creative work play a role in mental development. Even the closest friend can leave people but books don't, that is why books are the best friend and daily companion of people, the best means of healthy entertainment and the key to the development of civilization.

The writer is a, Banker and Columnist