RANGPUR, May 11, 2014 (BSS) - The 10-day Divisional Book Fair-2014 ended here on the Public Library premises this evening amid huge enthusiasm and festivity inspiring hundreds of people in renewing their book-reading habit.

Hundreds of people including students, youths, adolescents, teachers, academicians, officials, employees, poets, writers, socio-cultural personalities, civil society members, men, women and elite thronged the fair on the concluding day today.

Secretary to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Ranjit Kumar Biswas visited different stalls set up on the fair venue and attended the concluding ceremony this evening as the chief guest with Divisional Commissioner Muhammad Dilwar Bakht in the chair.

Acting Deputy Inspector General of Rangpur Range Police Humayun Kabir, Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Narayan Chandra Barma and Deputy Commissioner Farid Ahammad attended as the special guests.

Earlier on May 2 last, Minister for Cultural Affairs Asaduzzaman Noor inaugurated the 10-day Divisional Book Fair-2014 as the chief guest with the Divisional Commissioner in the chair.

Director of the Jatiyo Granthokendra Asim Saha delivered his welcome speech in the inaugural ceremony narrating the objectives of the fair that was arranged as a part of the national programme.

The Divisional Commissioner's Office with the assistances of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Jatiyo Granthokendra arranged the fair with a view to build book-reading habit for enhancing knowledge by removing ignorance in building enlightened society. A total of 65 stalls were set up by the renowned book publishing houses of the capital city, the district administration, Shishu Academy, local writers, poets and literarily personalities in the fair.

Debate competitions with participations of the debaters from different schools, colleges and universities, competitions on recitation of poems and self-composed poems were arranged daily in the fair.

Artists of Bangladesh Shilpakola Academy from its all eight district units in Rangpur division rendered colourful cultural evenings and noted academicians, scholars and literary personalities took part in the daily discussions on various topics.

Besides, special cultural programmes were arranged to observe the birth anniversary of Biswakobi Rabindranath Tagore on May 8 (Baishakh 25) last giving special dimension and height to the fair.

Speakers in the concluding ceremony asked for arranging book fairs at the district levels to generate interests among common people, especially young generations, in book-reading, literary and cultural activities.