With only a day to go before the closing of Amar Ekushey Book Fair, a good number of book-lovers and buyers crowded the fair premises.
Though Boi Mela, the national literature festival, has attracted a large flock of visitors throughout the month, many of the visitors in the early days came to the fairgrounds as a social event.
Now as it prepares to wind down, most visitors are there as buyers looking to complete their purchases of desired books.
Ruma Akter, who was seen buying books at the fair on Monday, told UNB that Boi Mela is undoubtedly a fascinating place for those who love to read books, as almost all kinds of books are available here.
"I have come here now, as more new books have hit the fair throughout the days", she said.
Echoing her words, her friend Umma Hridoy said, "I have come to the fair several times this time, but still there are few more books left which I want to buy from here".
While buyers are flocking the fair to tick off the remaining items in their wishlist, sellers know this is the time for them to cash in.
Md Tota Mia, at the stall of Khan Brothers and Company, one of the oldest publishing houses in the country, estimated that this year the crowd was larger than in previous years.
"Now those who couldn't buy some books earlier for whatever reason are coming for a last opportunity to buy those," he said.
However a total of 117 books hit the fair on its 26th day while more than four thousand books have been published during this month-long book fair so far. The total comfortably surpassed the number published last year (3646).
The daily seminar series at the fair was held Monday at the main stage in Bangla Academy on poet Bijay Sarker in the afternoon.