DHAKA: A leading Bangladeshi publisher known for its works by dissident writers said on Thursday it had been banned from the country’s leading book fair, in the latest government clampdown on its critics.

The Ekushey Book Fair is organised by the Bangla Academy, the government’s state-run literacy agency, and is a major event on the local cultural calendar.

Leading Bengali writers gather in the capital Dhaka each February to discuss their work, and millions of dollars’ worth of books are sold at the month-long festival.

Publishing house Adarsha had planned to exhibit, but chief executive Mahabubur Rahman said its titles critical of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had fallen foul of censors.

“The academy has blocked us from opening our stall in the fair and they did not even bother to inform us directly,” Rahman told reporters at a press conference in Dhaka.a

“When I contacted them in person, the organisers responded that three of the books we published contained criticism of the government, ruling party and its student wing.” Organisers did not officially clarify the reason behind the ban, but a Bangla Academy official said some of Adarsha’s books were “against the policy” of the academy.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2023