Shafi Sami said the society is beset by discrimination and disintegration although the winning of Nobel Peace Prize by Prof Muhammad Yunus had created a scope for united approach.

Everybody will have to work from his own position to establish mutual understanding at this critical moment, he added.

"Being tolerant and respectful to others we could move forward and work for the advancement of the country," Shafi Sami said, adding that books help increase harmony, tolerance and understanding.

He said he will ask the secretary to the cultural affairs ministry to fix a specific place for holding book fair every year as a pre-fixed place can help build necessary infrastructure for a successful book fair.

The Dhaka Book Fair 2006 started with the slogan 'Books Build a Harmonious Society'.

The fair will remain open from 11:00am to 8:30pm daily except on Friday when it will remain open from 2:30pm to 8:30pm.

It will continue till December 16.

A total of 67 publishing houses are taking part in the fair, said Deputy Director of the National Book Centre Aminul Islam.

This year the fair began prior to its scheduled time in view of the national election and Eid-ul-Azha in January, he added.

Secretary to the ministry ABM Abdul Haque Chowdhury, Director of National Book Centre Shafikur Rahman and Assistant Director Nazira Ahmed and publishers were present at the inaugural function.