The publisher of Adarsha Prakashani, Md Mahabubur Rahman, filed a writ petition at the High Court on Thursday, challenging the validity of the Bangla Academy's decision of not allocating him a stall at the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2023.
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.
"The hearing on the writ petition is likely to be held next week," the petitioner's lawyer Barrister Aneek R Haque said.
Four people, including the director general and president of Bangla Academy, have been made defendants in the writ.
The petitioner has sought the court's ruling, asking the authorities why not allotting a stall to Adarsha Prakashani will not be declared illegal. At the same time, instructions were sought to have the publishing house responsible as soon as possible.
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 on Thursday, 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.
