Jagriti, the publishing house of Faisal Arefin Dipan, will be there at this year’s Amar Ekushey Book Fair. There will be new books, too, from the house.
However, there has been confusion over participation of Shuddhashar, the publishing house of Ahmedur Rashid Tutul who was attacked by militants in Lalmatia last year.
The father of slain secularist publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan said his son’s publishing house will take part in the upcoming book fair and bring out some new books.
“Jagriti Prokashoni will publish new books and keep promoting the writers as it did earlier. We cannot lose to the radicals or militants,” said Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque, adding that the old books would also be available at the book fair that starts on February 1.
“It is not possible to overcome the loss our family has incurred, but I am trying to keep my son’s organisation alive. His well-wishers also want Jagriti to continue operations.”
Expressing frustration over the sluggish investigation process, the Dhaka University teacher said: “I knew it. I did not want to file a case after his murder considering the persistent culture of impunity in the country. But I had to register a case on request of the university authorities and the government. But it did not bring any result.”
Dipan, who published two books of slain science writer Avijit Roy, was hacked to death in the capital’s Aziz Super Market on October 31, a few hours after another of Avijit’s publishers, Ahmedur Rashid Tutul, and two other writers came under similar attack in the capital’s Lalmatia area.
Police blame banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team for the attacks but are yet to complete the investigation.
Deputy Commissioner (south) of the Detective Branch of police Mashrukur Rahman Khaled said there was no progress in Dipan murder probe. “We are suspecting that it was an act of militants, but have not been able to identify the killers,” he said.
Shuddhashar publication owner Tutul could not be reached for comments on his plans for the book fair. He left the country in mid November fearing for his life.
Meanwhile, Avijit’s father Prof Ajoy Roy said no publisher had contacted him for publishing his son’s writings this year.
Former Buet lecturer Avijit, who had been living in the US for the last couple of years, came to Dhaka in February along with his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya despite facing threats by radical Islamists as two of his books got published by Shuddhashar.
They came under attack by some radicals on February 26 near the TSC intersection. Avijit died in a hospital the same night while Bonya received critical injuries.