The incident of unrest and commotion in front of the ‘Sabyasachi’ stall at the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela is highly condemnable, and those responsible will be brought to justice, said Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki.
He made this statement in a Facebook post on Tuesday night.
In the post, the adviser wrote: “The incident that took place at Bangla Academy yesterday is extremely deplorable. At the time, I was on a flight. Since landing, I have been in constant communication regarding the matter and have gathered all explanations and analyses of the incident. The academy has already formed an investigation committee. The committee will submit its report within three working days, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.”
Urging everyone to refrain from provocative behavior, the adviser further said: “The government has made its stance clear—such incidents must not be allowed to happen in the fairground again. Let us all avoid any provocative actions.”
On Monday, a writer named Shatabdi Bhav faced outrage from a group of protestors at the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela over allegations that the Sabyasachi publication stall contained books by exiled writer Taslima Nasrin.
Immediately afterward, the stall was temporarily closed. Although Bangla Academy later announced that the stall would be reopened, it was still found closed on Tuesday afternoon.
Regarding the incident, Bangla Academy Secretary and Boi Mela Task Force Committee Chief Selim Reza said that a seven-member investigation committee had been formed.
The committee will submit its report within three days, after which a decision will be made.
