On Monday evening (February 10), miscreants vandalized a stall at the book fair, alleging that it was keeping and selling books by exiled writer Taslima Nasrin. Initial reports suggest that the attack was due to the presence of her book চুম্বন.
The stall, named Sabyasachi, is located at stall number 128. According to the latest updates, the fair administration has closed the stall. Alongside an angry crowd, police were also present at the scene.
Masud Alam, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Ramna Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), stated that there was a dispute involving a person named Shatabdi Bhabak at the stall. He has been taken to the police station for further investigation. The officer confirmed that legal action would be taken against the individual for his alleged crime, and a case would be filed accordingly. Further decisions will be made based on a detailed police investigation.
Earlier, in an interview with Anandabazar Patrika, Sabyasachi publisher and actress Sanjana Mehran claimed that she publishes Taslima Nasrin’s books every year, which are regularly sold at the Bangladesh Book Fair. Despite Taslima being banned in the country, Sanjana stated that she has only received minor threats in the past, which she never took seriously.
However, this year, after publishing চুম্বন, she has faced repeated threats. She argued that those criticizing the book may not realize that it is actually a collection of short stories rather than a provocative piece of writing. She also mentioned that there has been increasing pressure on her to remove Taslima’s book from the fair.
