Mamunur Rashid
and
Ashik Hossain
bdnews24.com correspondents
Dhaka, Feb 17 (bdnews24.com) – Publishers and sellers said Friday that novels written by Humayun Ahmed flew off the shelves faster than any others in the Amar Ekushey Book Fair in the first half of the month-long fair.
Anyaprokash Publications Ltd director Abdullah Naser said sales of Ahmed's novels just followed the trend of the past years.
His fans, however, failed to get an autograph of the popular writer like past years as he is currently undergoing treatment in the US. He will need at least four more cycles of chemotherapy in the second stage of his fight against colon cancer, doctors said.
"It is become almost a regulation over the past few years that Humayun sir's books will be best-sellers," Naser said.
"And there is nothing to worry about the gap between the most popular writer and the second best," he added.
Kakolii Publishers brought his new novel Darkaker Shongshar Kingba Majhe Majhe Tobo Dekha Pai on the 15th day of the fair that started on Feb 1. Readers crowded at the stall of the publisher when the news of the book's arrival was out.
Publisher of the book A K Nasir Ahmed Selim told bdnews24.com, "Fans of Humayun Ahmed have been crowding in front of the stall since it was published two days ago. The first edition sold out in three days. Now the second edition is on sale."
Each edition of the book has 5,000 copies, he said.
"The massive crowd you see in front of the stall is the fans of Humayun sir," Anyoprokash salesman Mojammel Haque Shishir said.
"Everyone coming here is buying two or three books."
Anyaprokash has published Humayun's Megher upor Bari, Himu ebong Harvard PhD Boltu Bhai, New York-er Akashe Jhakjhake Rod and Rong Pencil in this year's fair.
The second edition of Megher Upor Bari is available in the fair now, while sixth edition of Himu ebong Harvard PhD Boltu Bhai, and fourth editions of New York-er Akashe Jhakjhake Rod and Rong Pencil are on the shelves.
Humayun's books due from the publisher are travelogue Payer Tolaye Kharam, historical novel Deyal, Misir Ali series book Jokhon Namibe Adhar, short stories Bachhai Galpo and the fifth part of Humayun Ahmeder Rochonaboli.
The popular character Misir Ali has come with the solution of another big mystery this time, Naser said.
"The Misir Ali series book Jokhon Namibe Adhar is based on the story of a family with a father, two sons and two daughters-in-law. The sons see two fathers at a time, this is the mystery which Misir Ali solved."
The novel may arrive on Saturday.
The historical novel Deyal may arrive by the end of the fair. "The novel is written on the political situation before and after the killing of Bangabandhu [Sheikh Mujibur Rahman] in 1975. Addition and elimination are being handled carefully now as the novel is a historical one," Naser said.
Travelogue Payer Tolaye Kharam, short stories Bachhai Galpo and the fifth part of Humayun Ahmeder Rochonaboli may arrive next week, Naser said.
Humayun's fan Abdul Momen said, "I like Humayun Ahmed's work very much. I've bought a copy today."
"Himu, Misir Ali or Shuvra (characters of Humayun's novels), whatever I get, I go through them right away.
"Sometimes I wonder how can a man write so beautifully!" said another fan, Mehnaz Parveen.
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