Zealots storm Bangladesh book fair stall protesting feminist writer´s books selling

A group of religious extremists on Monday stormed into a stall at a book fair in Bangladesh protesting against selling of a book written by exiled feminist writer Taslima Nasrin and forced the publisher to close the stall, local media reported.

The incident took place in the evening when the zealots under the banner of 'Towhidi Janata' rushed to the stall named Sabyasachi Prakashani in the “Amar Ekushey Boi Mela (Book Fair)" and demanded removal of Nasrin's books.

With police intervention, the publisher was escorted out of the fair, where he was also compelled to apologize publicly, reported Dhaka Tribune, a leading English language daily published from Bangladesh.

Following the incident, the stall was temporarily shut down.

The stall of Sabyasachi Publication has been at the centre of discussion since Sunday when multiple posts on social media called for the demolition of a book stall at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, alleging that it was promoting atheism, reported The Daily Star, another leading English language newspaper published from Dhaka.

Attacks on cultural establishments including sculptures of Bangladesh liberation war and Father of the Nation of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman increased alarmingly during the regime of present interim government led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The anti-discrimination student movement, which led the movement in July 2024 to oust the Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and formed the interim government is leading the widespread vandalisms all over Bangladesh.

Earlier on February 5, the pro-government anti-discrimination student movement, demolished the residence of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, housing the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka.

The organisation, together with religious fundamentalists and anti-liberation forces demolished the historic building as a part of its pre-announced programme but the law enforcing agencies of the country did not take any measure to protect the museum on the liberation war of Bangladesh.

Read more: Bangladesh at risk as interim regime targets secular forces, favours extremists.