Police's comment on book publishing audacious

I am not sure if any police force in the world has ever made such a comment before! But Bangladesh's police made an shocking statement, asking the Bangla Academy to verify manuscripts before books are published. On Friday, after observing the security situation of this year’s book fair at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sazzad Ali made this remark to journalists. After hearing his comment, poets and writers across the country are writing on social media, expressing their confusion over whether to call his statement unfortunate or ridiculous. Some are even asking, "Is it still the police of the Awami League era?"

According to news reports on Saturday, February 1, the police suggested that the Bangla Academy verify manuscripts before publication to prevent the publication of content that could create instability. The DMP is advocating for this process to begin from the 2026 Amar Ekushey Book Fair.

The police’s intention may be honest, but there are many problems here. First, books are published throughout the four months leading up to and during the book fair. Reviewing nearly 4,000 books is almost impossible for the Bangla Academy. Second, what criteria will be used to determine which content might cause instability? Topics such as religion, politics, philosophy, and history can all spark debate. Intellectual discourse is inherently argumentative. True knowledge always sparks new ideas, and these ideas might be unwelcome to some groups—how can such content be suppressed? Should authors only write romantic novels? Religious stories? Writers can ignite new thinking on subjects like religion, politics, history, and philosophy. A book is an explosion of thought. Trying to stop that with any kind of reasoning is like damming up a river’s flow.

Our society is already backward, with no direction for new thinking. Every book fair sees the release of countless books that are merely recycled versions of old ideas. During the previous Awami League government, our poets and writers couldn’t write freely. Many of our writers have had to face jail or even death for their work. Writers had hoped that with the fall of the fascist government, the situation would change. But after hearing the police’s comment, many writers are now asking, "Has the previous system still remained in place?"

The work of writers is to seek the truth, and every writer is independent in their work. No law in the world can bind them. If that were the case, society and civilization would never have reached the level they have today. Many writers have shed their blood for the creation of the civilization we live in now. Do the police of Bangladesh want to keep the country stuck in backwardness? The comment made by the police is not just unfortunate or ridiculous; it is extremely audacious. No police force in any country has the right to make such comments about book publishing.

If an unstable situation does indeed arise, what will the police do? The police are supposed to control that instability. They should ensure the safety of the writers. It is not the police's job to suggest cutting off heads because of a headache. We expect the police of Bangladesh to show more wisdom in their comments. The government should also warn the police against giving such unnecessary and overstepping advice. The Bangla Academy is an autonomous institution, and it is not the police’s job to advise the Bangla Academy.