CHATTOGRAM, Jan 10, 2025 (BSS) - A day-long 6th Book Exchange Festival, remembering the July uprising, was held today at the city’s Jamalkhan crossing.
 
Storytelling platform 'Failed Camera Stories' organized the function with the slogan 'Not books, but knowledge exchange' dedicating it to the martyrs of the July uprising. 
Huge crowds thronged the book stalls lined up on both sides of the road. Students from different schools and colleges with bags on their shoulders, as well as senior readers participated in the festival. 

This year readers who came to exchange books in city’s Jamalkhan crossing saw the stalls named after the martyrs of the July uprising. The organizers narrated the July uprising with frames, banners, and graffiti. The festival venue was decorated with various images of the July uprising. Such images brought back those days of betrayal, pain, and anger. 

The organizers said at least 5,500 books were on display at various stalls. In this exceptional book exchange festival, a reader can leave his read book and exchange it for another book for free. For example, if a reader has finished reading a novel, he can deposit the book and exchange it for another unread novel of his choice. This innovative event has been receiving a response from across the country since 2021. 

Sayed Khan Sagar, coordinator of the Book Exchange Festival and director of Failed Camera Stories presided over the function while Ekushey Padak-winning journalist and Dainik Azadi editor MA Malek attended the function as chief guest. Additional Secretary Mizanur Rahman, also Commissioner for the Office of Refugee Relief and Repatriation of Bangladesh, inaugurated the function. 

Terming book exchange festival as a great initiative, Mizanur Rahman said it will be playing a role in shaping the national psyche. It is important to continue this initiative, he added.
Director of Nazrul Institute Latiful Islam Shibli, who attended the event as special guest inaugurated the Nazrul Corner at the Book Exchange Festival.