Bidhannagar Mela 2024 inaugurated, about 10 states to take part in fair
Kolkata: At a time when Bangladesh did not participate in the Kolkata International Film Festival this year and is not likely to take part in the upcoming Kolkata International Book Fair, the participants from the neighbouring country have been asked to withdraw from the Bidhannagar Mela.
The amount received from the stall owners of Bangladesh who had booked about eight big size stalls will be refunded.
On Tuesday, the Bidhannagar Mela 2024 was inaugurated at the Book Fair ground at Karunamoyee in Salt Lake. According to sources, this year the commercial operations of the Bidhannagar Mela have been given to a third party through a tender. The third party organisation has already paid a certain amount to the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC). This year there are about 500 stalls in the fair. Three countries, Egypt, Ghana and Afghanistan are taking part in the fair this year. This apart, about 10 states are taking part in the fair.
The fair was inaugurated on Tuesday in a unique manner by planting a tree in presence of state Fire and Emergency Services minister, Sujit Bose, state Power minister, Aroop Biswas, state Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay along with Chief Whip, Nirmal Ghosh, MLA of Rajarhat-Gopalpur, Aditi Munshi and MLA of Rajarhat-New Town, Tapas Chatterjee.
The fair will continue till January 6 at the Book Fair ground in Salt Lake. Sources informed that based on the current situation in Bangladesh, it was decided that Bangladesh will be asked to withdraw.
“As a precautionary measure, participants from Bangladesh have been asked to withdraw. The booking amount will be refunded,” said an official of the BMC.
