This year the Toronto Book Fair turns 17. It can be said that the Toronto Book Fair has entered its youth. Now the Toronto Book Fair stands in a strong position. It has gained popularity everywhere. The Toronto Book Fair stands in a different status at home and abroad. The biggest literary and cultural festival outside Bangladesh and West Bengal is in New York. It was then that the name of the Toronto Book Fair was mentioned. Toronto Book Fair is playing a unique role in keeping Bengali culture alive in the outside world. Many famous authors, publishers have participated in the Toronto Book Fair in the past few days. glorified the book fair. Two days a year, a festive atmosphere is created in the city. A union of author, publisher and reader takes place. Boddha discussed various aspects of literature. The new generation is enlightened. They get to know about our liberation war and language movement. The Toronto Book Fair is an euphemism, a tribute to local cultural activists. The Toronto Book Fair has already been recognized at the government level of the two countries. It is certainly expected that the Toronto Book Fair will go further in the future, will be anointed with institutional status, and will be universal.
I feel honored to be involved as an organizer of the book fair. The book fair is the fair of our lives. Our relationship with spirit. I try to be wherever there is a book fair. Sometimes Dhaka, sometimes New York, sometimes Kolkata, sometimes London. Year after year, I run to book fairs in the country and abroad. I have sacrificed a lot for writing, books or book fairs. eternal sacrifice I even left Barisal for writing. An uncertain life beckoned me. I never looked back. Loved literature and put all my efforts behind it. Today we can be proud of the Toronto Book Fair. But its beginning was not easy at all. Overcoming many obstacles, the Toronto Book Fair is moving towards its desired goal.
It should be noted that there are about one and a half million Bengalis living in the whole world together with the two Bengals. Language practice can be observed everywhere. Bengali language is the 5th largest language in the world. Many languages have disappeared from the world. There is no doubt that more extinctions will occur. But Bengali language will never be lost. The globalization of Bengali literature has happened because of the language. Nothing is confined within geographical boundaries anymore. Many famous writers are now spread in different parts of the world. They continue to contribute. After Rabindranath, no one else could present Bengali literature in the world court, but there is enough competition to prove their superiority within their caste group and it is of a very high standard. Something we can be proud of.
I believe that the Toronto Book Fair will reach even more unique heights in the future. Poet Asad Chowdhury said, “The work of writing or literary work abroad is quite difficult. Those who do this are namsyas. It cannot be that a Bengali will not have Bengali books in his home, it cannot be that the new generation will not speak Bengali. We have to do this.” This book fair is an example of the globalization of Bengali language. And the work is done with dedication by Sadi Ahmed, convener of the Toronto Book Fair. Thanks to him.
