Shocked but not scared

Publishers, left in a state of insecurity following Saturday's synchronised attacks on two of their colleagues, have nonetheless said they will not shun away from promoting freethinking.

They believe it is not possible to stop them from publishing books by striking terror in this way but at the same time they are afraid that it may cast a dark cloud on the Ekushey Book Fair.

“They [the assailants] think they can stop some writers from writing by killing one publisher. It is their tactic. But it's not possible to stop freethinking through killing,” said Farid Ahmed, publisher of Shomoy Prokashani.

Farid, who already received a death threat, expressed his frustration at the government's laxity over taking stringent measures to bring the attackers to book.

“We cannot fight alone if the government does not come forward. Publishing is not just my three-decade-long profession, it's my passion. My soul will die if I quit this job,” he said, adding the government needed to decide what the publishers should do.

Farid filed a general diary with Dhanmondi Police Station in connection with the death threat he received yesterday, a day after suspected machete-wielding militants attacked two publishers of slain secular writer-blogger Avijit Roy.

The assailants hacked to death Faisal Arefin Dipan, owner of Jagriti Prokashani, at Shahbagh and critically injured Ahmedur Rashid Tutul of Shuddhoswar Prokashani and two bloggers in Lalmatia.

Protesting the attacks, publishers, writers, businessmen, book sellers and employees of Aziz Cooperative Super Market yesterday wore black ribbons.

They will continue their protest today by refraining from selling books across the country from morning till afternoon.

Veteran publisher Mohiuddin Ahmed, proprietor of University Press Limited (UPL), said publishers "are being targeted as they publish the free thoughts of people."

However, it is not something new and has been going on for a while, he said.

Robin Ahsan, publisher of Srabon Prokashani and a friend of Avijit and Tutul, said receiving death threat was nothing new to publishers.

But if a publisher files a GD, police will laugh at you, thinking of your terrible situation, he said.

Robin filed GDs a couple of times, including one with Shahbagh Police in February this year after the murder of Avijit.

“What will happen if I file a GD? Will police protect me?” asked Robin.

Many publishers are thinking of quitting the profession, which will affect the book industry, especially the Ekushey Book Fair, he said.

Ahsan Habib, publisher and editor of satire magazine Unmad, said publishers needed to be united to tackle the crisis.

Dipak Roy, chief executive of Sanghati Publication, said the government must ensure people's right to freedom of expression as it is a constitutional right.

“We are aggrieved as such incidents have been going on for quite sometimes. But we have yet to see any effective measures from the government,” he said.

Mejbah Uddin Ahmed, publisher of Ankur Prokashani, said a number of his friends and colleagues had suggested he should not work late into the night.

Several publishers, when approached over the phone, sounded panicked and refrained from making any comment or being quoted on the issue.

“I never felt such pangs of insecurity in my life,” said a top official of a leading publishing house. “Do you actually think I should talk on the issue?” he asked, requesting not to reveal his identity.

Another publisher, wishing anonymity, said, “Please forgive me. I don't want to make any comment on this."

Meanwhile, today Bangladesh Publishers and Book Sellers Association will submit a memorandum to Dhaka District Administration, and Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh will form a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club at 11:00am.