Dhaka: Author-activist Taslima Nasreen has lashed out at “Jihadi extremists” in Bangladesh after a group of madrasa students in Dhaka vandalised a stall displaying her book at a book fair. Nasrin, who is living in exile in India, shared a video of the incident, claiming despite the removal of her book from the stall, the mob threatened the seller.
It was at the bookstall of Sabyasachi Publication where the incident took place, police and eyewitnesses said according to ANI.
A group of agitators arrived at the Sabyasachi Prakashani stall and began shouting, initially questioning why Taslima Nasreen’s book was displayed. According to a witness, the situation escalated as they attacked Publisher Shatabdi Bhava and threw away copies of the book.
Order was restored after police intervened, detaining both the publisher and the agitators. Additional police were deployed following reports of the disturbance at the book fair.
Speaking to ANI over the phone, Police Official Masud Alam stated that tensions had arisen between some students of the Qaumi Madrasa and the publisher of Sabyasachi Prokashoni.
“We brought both parties to the police station and are investigating the cause of the tensions. The situation is now completely under control,” he added.
Purported videos of the attack have gone viral on social media. Taslima Nasreen shared one such video on X.
“Today, jihadist religious extremists attacked the stall of the publisher Sabyasachi at Bangladesh’s book fair. Their “crime” was publishing my book. The book fair authorities and the police from the local station ordered the removal of my book. Even after it was removed, the extremists attacked, vandalized the stall, and shut it down,” she wrote in the post.
About Taslima Nasreen
Taslima Nasreen is a Bangladeshi writer, physician, feminist, and secular activist.
On 21 February 1952, courageous individuals in what was then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) laid down their lives to establish Bangla as the state language. In their honour, Bangla Academy organises a book fair, known as the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, which takes place every February.
As one of the largest book fairs in South Asia, it is held at the Bangla Academy courtyard and the historic Suhrawardy Udyan, offering a wide range of books across various genres and subjects.
