A group of writers, artists, and human rights activists have strongly condemned the attack on Sabyasachi, a publishing house stall at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, calling it a grave assault on freedom of expression.
Following prior threats on Facebook, a radical group launched an attack on the stall on Monday evening.
Despite the presence of armed security forces, the attackers threatened to insult the publisher and vandalize and burn the stall, which, the statement said, underscores their opposition to fundamental human rights and free expression in the country.
The statement emphasized that this heinous act is not an isolated incident.
It cited past attacks, including the 2004 brutal attack on poet Humayun Azad, the 2015 murders of writer Avijit Roy and publisher Faisal Abedin Deepan, the destruction of shrines, the prevention of women from playing football, and demands to rename Begum Rokeya University.
The statement also alleged that under the previous administration, extremist groups first spread propaganda and incited violence, while the government remained inactive or indirectly supportive.
It further accused the authorities of shielding perpetrators and failing to take action against attacks on bloggers, dissenters, and free thinkers.
The death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed in custody was cited as another example of state repression of free expression.
The signatories claimed that since the political transition in July, attacks on freedom of speech and cultural expression have escalated once again.
The statement described the current security measures at the book fair as completely ineffective. It put forward the following demands including immediate arrest of all direct and indirect perpetrators of the attack, enhanced security at the book fair to prevent future violence, and strict enforcement of the law to curb such illegal activities. If these minimum demands are not met, the Bangla Academy director general and other responsible officials must step down.
The signatories urged all democratically minded individuals to stand together against such attacks, stating that freedom of expression and cultural liberty are essential to a democratic society.
Some of the notable signatories include – Anu Muhammad, professor and member, Democratic Rights Committee; Samina Lutfa Nitra, teacher, Dhaka University; Nasrin Khandaker, anthropologist; Golam Sarwar, associate professor, Department of History, Rajshahi University; Labani Ashrafi, filmmaker and teacher, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh; Masud Imran Mannu, professor, Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University; Jyotirmoy Barua, lawyer, Supreme Court of Bangladesh; Dr Harun Ur Rashid, physician and general secretary, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani Parishad; Kallol Mostafa, writer and researcher Nasrin Khandaker, anthropologist; and Manzoor Al Matin, lawyer.
