Dhaka [Bangladesh], February 10 : A group of madrasa students on Monday attacked a stall at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair in Dhaka over the display of book written by Taslima Nasreen, who is in exile in India as per police and eyewitness' accounts.
According to police and eyewitnesses, the incident took place at the book stall of Sabyasachi Publication, the publisher of Nasreen.
"A group of agitators came to Sabyasachi Prakashani and started shouting first why Taslima Nasreen's book was kept in the stall. Later Publisher Shatabdi Bhava was attacked by the people. They threw away Taslima's book", a witness said.
"Later, the situation came under control after police picked up Publisher Shatabdi Bhava and the agitators from the spot", they added.
"Additional police were sent after receiving information about the disturbance at the book fair. The panic was there due to tensions between some students of the Qaumi Madrasa and the publisher of Sabyasachi Prokashoni", Police Official Masud Alam toldover the phone.
"We brought both parties to the police station. We are trying to find out the reason of the tensions. The situation is completely under control", he added.
Purported videos of the attack has 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", Taslima Nasreen wrote on X.
"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 added.
"The government is supporting these extremists, and jihadist activities are spreading across the country", Nasreen said.
Taslima Nasreen is a Bangladeshi writer, physician, feminist, secular activist.
On February 21, 1952, some valiant sons of the then East Pakistan (present Bangladesh) sacrificed their lives to establish Bangla as the state language. For remembering their sacrifice a book fair is organized by Bangla Academy and featured as the Amar Ekushey book fair held annually in the month of February.
It is one of the largest book fairs in South Asia held at Bangla Academy courtyard and the historic Suhrawardy Udyan. Books of different genres and subjects are available in the fair.
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