Publishers of creative writers feeling insecure

Publishers of creative writers are passing days in looming threats of attacks since none of them knows who may become the next victim after their fellow Faisal Arefin Dipan, said the Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh yesterday.

The community of publishers is feeling uneasy in general, they added.

"We are even scared of expressing our dismay at the death of a fellow publisher," said Somoy Prakashan owner Farid Ahmed, who received a death threat a day after the October 31 attacks that killed Jagriti Prokashani owner Dipan and wounded Shuddhoswar's Ahmedur Rashid Tutul.

Farid was addressing a discussion organised by the association at its office in the capital in memory of Dipan.

"The atrocities are an example of how unsafe the country's creative people are," said Farid Ahmed. "Police have been trying to provide security to me. But what will happen to those who are targeted but not publicly named on the hit list?"

A former director of the association, Dipan had been a family friend of many of the publishers present at the discussion.

"My parents and relatives often call me to ask whether I have ever published anything that could make me a target of the extremists. They also ask me to be doubly cautious before I publish any writer," said Shihab Uddin, director (fair) of the association.

Acting president of the association, Mesbahuddin Ahmed, said he would create a fund where publishers would chip in to help Tutul's family.

Dipan had published the work of blogger Avjit Roy, who was killed in February. Three other bloggers have been murdered this year, and all of them used to write about sensitive social, political and religious issues.

Farid Ahmed, also executive director of the association, said the publishers were exercising self-censorship and they would stop publishing creative works altogether if another threat came or an attack took place.

"My family has been praying for my safety ever since I got the threat," he said.

Vice President of the association Milon Kanti Nath urged the publishers to stand beside Tutul's family.

A milad mahfil praying for Dipan's departed soul and Tutul's quick recovery followed the discussion.

GONOJAGORON MANCHA

A faction of anti-war crimes platform Gonojagoron Mancha yesterday held a rally at the capital's Shahbagh, demanding exemplary punishment for the killers of publishers and bloggers.

The Imran H Sarker-led faction also brought out a procession.

Addressing the rally, Imran said "evil powers" were trying to show to foreigners that there was existence of Islamic State in Bangladesh so that they lost interest in investing in the country.

Meanwhile, the National Committee against Fascism and Imperialism rallied in front of Raju memorial at Dhaka University, condemning killings and militancy.