The High Court has ordered the authorities concerned to allot a stall to Adarsha at the Ekushey Book Fair on the condition that it does not sell or exhibit three specific books.
The bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir issued the rule on Wednesday.
Barrister Aneek R Haque appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the writ petitioner.
The publisher of Adarsha, Md Mahabubur Rahman, filed the writ petition at the High Court on February 2, challenging the validity of the Bangla Academy's decision of not allocating him a stall at the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela.
The writ states that the authorities did not allow the publishing house to participate in the fair over a book that is not banned or blacklisted. So the decision has no validity as per the Bangla Academy Act 2013. It is also against freedom of speech.
In the writ, four people, including the director general and president of the Bangla Academy, were made respondents.
The High Court bench held a hearing on the writ petition on Tuesday and fixed Wednesday for passing an order in this regard.
The court on Tuesday asked Adarsha to submit a copy of the three books which are under objection by the Bangla Academy authorities. It also asked to give a bond on the condition of not selling and exhibiting the three books.
On January 12, Bangla Academy published the list of publishing houses that were given stalls at the fair. But Adarsha Prakashani did not get a stall and later learned about the objections toward a book, titled Bangalir Mediocrityr Sondhane (In Search of Bengalis' Mediocrity). It is written by Faham Abdus Salam, son-in-law of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Adarsha publisher Mahabubur applied again on January 24, assuring the authorities that the “controversial” book would not be in the stall. But later on January 26, the Bangla Academy informed him that Adarsha was not getting a stall this time.
According to sources, the Bangla Academy authorities also raised objections to two other books – one by Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb and the other by Zia Hassan.