Last week, one of Dhaka’s oldest bookstores announced that they will be closing shop after running for 60 years

Spectacular is the bookstore in Buenos Aires El Ateneo Grand Splendid; a former opera house built in 1903 and now shelved with books in a massive remodelling exercise.

For avid readers, bookshops hold a special place in their lives.

“We tried our best to keep the shop but the tides of change are upon us”, Bookworm announced on their social media today. 

With the expansion of the publishing business, bookshops also sprang up in various parts of Old Dhaka, particularly in Chawkbazar, Islampur, Mughaltuli and Patuatuli. It is estimated that the number of bookshops in Dhaka till 1900 were no less than 40. 

From textbooks and notes for all classes to guidebooks for all competitive exams...