A hostile wind in the realm of books, taking shape in a house of ghosts

News Desk:  It was once said that books mean Banglabazar. Publishers and traders there used to spend day and night noisy time in making and selling books. The sound of machines running non-stop in the printing press. The crowd of wholesale buyers increased before the new academic year and the book fair.

Banglabazar, which is full of school and college book making and preparation for book fairs, is now blowing a hostile wind. Many publications have gone out of business due to continuous losses. New books are being stopped to prevent losses due to reduced sales. The same is true in the printing industry. Modernization of the era, change in education system, increase in the price of raw materials, reluctance to read books have led to collapse of this industry.

Azizia Book Depot, once a prominent publication in Banglabazar. The company has been doing business for almost 42 years. Wholesale buyers from all over the country flocked for the book. Text books and guide books of national universities including schools and colleges were ruled. But today it is extinct. Azizia did not print new books for almost two years due to lack of book sales. Selling previously printed books in new wrappers. There is no sale of new books as there is no change in the syllabus of National University. School students have also lost interest. They turn to online and YouTube tutorial videos. As a result, the printing of new books stopped. 

Azizia Book Depot manager Abu Taher said that the demand for books is very low. As the price of paper increased, the price of books increased. As a result, book purchases have further decreased. Local shopkeepers are returning books sold a year ago. Stop printing new books. There are no books for sale other than a couple of children's books.

Paper market on fire, Abul Bashar, proprietor of Metro Publications, said the price of paper has doubled in the last two years. Earlier, the price of newsprint paper was Tk 320, now it has increased to more than Tk 700. 800 Tk note has now become around 1 thousand 600 Tk. As the main raw material for making books is paper, the price hike has hit the publishing market.

He said, the price of paper is doubled, but we cannot double the price of books. Doubling the price of books will put students out of affordability. Then sales may drop further. I reduced the profit for this. Apart from this, the number of pages in the book is being reduced.

A comparative analysis of prices around Banglabazar shows that the price of paper is almost doubling every year. The prices of these papers have increased several times. After inquiry at Mukul Paper House, a wholesale and retail paper seller, it is known that Bashundhara white 55 gram paper used in printing is now 1,600 taka ream, two years ago it was 800 taka. 70 grams of offset white paper now costs Tk 2,800, which was Tk 1,400 two years ago. Apart from this, 70 grams of DC paper is being sold at 2 thousand 200 taka, 61 grams at 1 thousand 850 taka, 80 grams at 2 thousand 600 taka.

Lelin Hossain, owner of Mukul Paper House, said that the 28-year-old business is going through the worst time. Business has not returned since Corona. The demand for paper in the market is less than before. 

Many publications have disappeared, due to non-sale of books and rise in the price of raw materials, many publications including Jupiter, Globe, Adil, Galaxy have been closed due to loss.

A veteran publisher of Banglabazar said that the publishing industry provides employment to around 3 million people across the country. Curriculum changes no longer sell books. Many publications have gone up. Another 40 percent of publications are on the verge of extinction. There are many publications only in notebooks and pens. 

Printing industry in crisis, the price of everything increases, the cost has also increased in the printing industry. Large or batch printing is collapsing due to low job demand.

General Secretary of Bangladesh Printing Industry Association Zahurul Islam said that the main reason for the increase in the price of books is the increase in the price of paper and raw materials. Fonts are being made smaller to reduce production costs.

Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association vice-president Shyamal Pal said that because of the new curriculum, children know that they have no exams. There is no pressure to buy or read books for this. No need to buy reference or helpful books for good results. Apart from that the cost of paper is very high now.

We asked the government to limit the paper duty at least by December-January. But it was not done. All in all, Banglabazar is now turning into a haunted house.

 

Comments (0)