Bangladeshi protesters attack stall displaying Taslima Nasreen’s book; Yunus orders probe

Dhaka: A group of protesters stormed a book stall in Dhaka over the display of books by exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, prompting Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to order a probe into the "disorderly behaviour", according to a media report The incident took place on Monday at the publishing house Sabyasachi Prokashoni stall at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, Bdnews24 reported.

The incident unfolded on the 10th day of the fair when a group under the banner of “Towhidi Janata” stormed the Sabyasachi Prokashoni stall at Suhrawardy Udyan over the display of books by exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, the report added.

The group surrounded the publisher and chanted slogans, prompting police to intervene and take Sabyasachi publisher Shatabdi Vobo into their control room to restore order, it said.

However, the protesters then encircled the police control room, keeping tensions high.

Following widespread criticism, Chief Adviser Yunus ordered authorities on Monday evening to bring those responsible to justice, it added.

“This kind of disorderly behaviour disregards both the rights of citizens and the laws of Bangladesh,” the Chief Adviser’s Office said in a statement.

Bangla Academy has formed a seven-member committee to investigate the chaos and attack on the publishing house. The committee has been asked to submit its findings within three working days, Bangla Academy said in a statement on Tuesday.

Describing the incident as "undesirable," the academy said the committee was formed to ensure a fair probe.

Since the incident, the Sabyasachi stall, number 128, has remained closed.

However, Bangla Academy clarified on Monday that it had not shut down any stalls or banned any books.

Meanwhile, Mahfuj Alam -- considered a de facto minister in the interim government and a key leader of Bangladesh’s Anti-Discrimination Students Movement -- has issued a stern warning, stating that anyone involved in mob violence will face strict legal action, the report said.

Addressing the “Towhidi Janata” group, he cautioned that if they engage in violent acts, they will be treated as lawbreakers and subjected to severe legal consequences, with no further warnings.

Mahfuj made these remarks on Monday after a group of enraged individuals stormed the stall over the sale of a poetry book by Nasreen.

Videos circulating on social media show a group of men in Islamic attire crowding in front of the stall and forcing an individual inside to hold his ears and apologise, the report added.

Nasreen’s writings won critical acclaim and global attention in the early 1990s. However, her radical writings exposing hypocrisy as well as fundamentalism, also infuriated the orthodox clergy in her homeland, some of whom passed ‘fatwas’ against her, forcing her to flee to Europe and the US.

She has been living in India since 2004 (except from 2008 to 2010) after being expelled from Bangladesh in 1994 and her permit to stay in India expired in July 2024.

However, in October 2024, India extended her residence permit for another year.