Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday stressed the need for spreading the country’s vibrant cultural activities like fairs and festivals to every district to attract the young generation to Bengali language, literature, and culture. “Once cultural events and discussions and literature practices used to be held in every district and sub-district in the past. But this practice has largely declined. It’s essential to resume these to glorify our culture,” she said. The Prime Minister made the remarks while inaugurating the Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2022, the annual event of booklovers and publishers, in the capital. She opened the country’s biggest book fair, joining its inaugural ceremony at the Bangla Academy virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban in the afternoon. Hasina said if such activities can be resumed, many grassroots talented poets, artists, littérateurs, and cultural activists would get the scope to flourish their talents, and people will also be able to meet their physiological needs at the same time. “We’ve ensured food security. Now we need to fulfill the psychological demands…If such fairs or events over our culture, art, and literature are held, the young generation won’t go astray anymore as they’ll also remain committed to Bangladesh, Bengali language, literature, and culture,” said the PM. She said though it is essential to learn a foreign language and culture, it is most important to promote one’s own roots and culture first paying special attention to glorify and expand Bengali cultural practices further.    Read: PM inaugurates Ekushey Book Fair-2022

Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) on Thursday virtually launched a book- “Porikalpona Poribhasa” (Planning terminology) to make Bengali translations of essential terms in planning available in a collection.