It was touch and go whether the national book fair of Bangladesh, the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela, could keep up its growth as severe weather flooded the grounds, damaged books and deterred visitors.
Even with a two day extension to make up for some of the lost time it seemed improbable we were going to see any records broken this year.
But remarkably the final numbers came in on target. The Dhaka Tribune reported sales reached TK80 crore.
80 crore? For those unfamiliar with the subcontinent’s mathematical notation, India Units Conversion explains,
80 crores (or 8000 lakhs) is equal to 800 million (0.8 billion).
800 million Bangladeshi Taka (TK or BDT) comes in at USD 9,579,117 at today’s exchange rate.
One wonders what might have been achieved had the weather been kinder and the organisation better,
It is a pity that the weather was so bad that day 🙁 I hope the weather will be better at the next fair!