Allot stall to Adarsha in Ekushey Book Fair: HC

The High Court (HC) has directed the Bangla Academy to allot a stall to Adarsha Publications at the Ekushey Book Fair.

However, the court gave the order as the publishing house promised not to display or sell the books against which Bangla Academy raised objections.

The bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order on Wednesday after hearing a writ plea regarding it.

At the same time, the court issued a ruling upon the Bangla Academy and the Ministry of Culture, to explain why the Bangla Academy's decision, to bar Adarsha from the fair, should not be illegal.

Four people, including the director general of the Bangla Academy, were asked to respond to the rule within four weeks, the petitioner's lawyer Aneek R Haque said.

Mahabubur Rahman, the publisher of Adarsha Publications, filed a writ at the High Court on 3 February, challenging the Bangla Academy's decision to deny them a stall at this year's Amar Ekushey Book Fair.

The petitioner also sought the court's instruction to allot a stall to the publishing house as soon as possible.

Bangla Academy, the governing body of the fair, published the allocation list on 12 January, where the name of the Adarsha publications was dropped.

Later, Adarsha learned that the academy blocked its allotment because of three books – "Oprotirodhyo Unyaner Obhabonio Kothamala" by Foyez Ahmed Toiyob, "Bangalir Mediocrityr Sondhane" by Faham Abdus Salam, and "Unyan Bivrom" by Zia Hasan. 

Faham Abdus Salam, son-in-law of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.