Publishers need support to resume production of books

About 25 lakh people related to 26,000 members of the Bangladesh Publishers and Booksellers Association, briefly known as BAPUS are facing hardship due to pandemic triggered the closure of educational activities. The closure has cut down sales of publishing houses by over 70 per cent. The publishers, working hard to build a knowledge-based nation, are deprived of cash incentives from the government to survive. The sale of all categories of books declined to less than one-third of the usual. The downturn also affected the allied businesses such as printing, binding and other relevant activities. Many workers, including the skilled ones, involved in the printing and publishing industry lost their jobs.
The owners of the publishing houses also failed to receive any support from the formal financing institutions. Since the government is yet to declare publication as an industry, publishers have failed to avail incentives given to industries. Again, whereas publishing houses avoid taking bank loans, the incentives offered to businesses apply to those who had taken bank loans earlier. Books worth about Tk 12,500 crore remained unsold during the last 18 months. Most of the traders are now facing hardships in paying rent of shops and wages of employees.
The publishers’ association submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through 60 Deputy Commissioners across the country on August 18 demanding a special incentive package of Tk 100 crore for ensuring their survival. The BAPUS also urged the government to buy creative books from the publishers worth Tk 500 crore as part of the incentive. We say the government should come up with support for publishers so that they can support the knowledge-based society. As the schools are reopening, we hope the publishers will get their business back but they need support to resume publication activities.