Writers denounce manuscripts check as 'Police Intervention'

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025 begins today, on Saturday, February 1, at the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka. The main theme of this year’s book fair is "July Mass Uprising: Building a New Bangladesh."

However, even before the book fair officially opened, a statement from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on January 31 sparked significant controversy on social media. The police have requested that manuscripts of books be verified before being published at the fair. According to the police, the goal is to prevent the publication of content that could create instability, and they have asked the Bangla Academy to check the manuscripts before they are made available at the fair.

This issue has triggered various discussions and debates on social media platform Facebook. Most writers and publishers have expressed negative reactions. Writers have labeled it as ‘police intervention,’ ‘neo-fascism,’ and ‘medieval.’ Publishers have called the proposal ‘unrealistic.’

Describing the matter as novel, poet Mozid Mahmud said, "This request is quite unique because I have never heard of such a request before." He questioned whether the Bangla Academy even has the authority or the capacity to verify a book before its publication. "Do they have the capability or manpower to check a writer's book before publishing it?" he asked.

Mozid Mahmud further mentioned that, over time, some books have sparked controversy, leading to their withdrawal from the fair or a ban on their sale. In certain cases, publishers have faced obstacles at their stalls, and even the writers themselves were banned. "However, none of these actions are desirable in relation to books," he added.

He also noted that every government creates a political narrative, and no government actually welcomes opposition to it. Referring to the proposal as an interference in the writer's freedom, Mozid Mahmud pointed out that political parties often talk about supporting writers' freedom when they are out of power, but once they come to power, this support disappears. However, he emphasized that for true writers, such obstacles are useless.

This kind of issue has been strongly opposed by novelist Zakir Talukder. Referring to it as ‘police intervention in literature,’ Zakir Talukder said, “When the fair is just one day away from starting, it doesn’t make sense to ask to see manuscripts or upcoming books at this time.” He expressed his long-standing opposition to any police interference in understanding the literary value of a piece. "If a writer writes something objectionable, another book should be written in response," he added.

Opposing censorship or any form of control, Zakir Talukder emphasized that this is a topic that have been resolved long ago. "Literature should remain in the hands of the writer. We never wanted any kind of interference or censorship. Such actions undermine the freedom of expression and the writer’s right to free thought. As in the past, similar efforts have yielded no results, and this time, too, such attempts will be in vain. Perhaps some writers might be harassed, but that’s all," he said.

When asked whether he finds this as a form of new fascism, Zakir Talukder responded, "Absolutely, this is part of fascism. We seem to have identified one group, and everyone else feels immune from responsibility. But we can’t ignore how many fascist incidents are happening around us. For instance, the destruction of our shrines, people not being allowed to celebrate their religious ritual (Orash) the way they want, girls are being prevented from playing—by not resisting these actions, by not arresting those who are doing them, and by not taking any action against them, we are, in effect, encouraging fascism."

Mazharul Islam, the owner of Anyaprokash, told Views Bangladesh, "This is entirely unrealistic. I don't know of any such instance where books are checked before being displayed at a fair. And even if it were to be done, does the Bangla Academy have the required manpower for this? Do they have the time for it?"

Author Moinul Ahsan Saber shared a link related to this matter on Facebook with the caption, "Thank goodness, I gave up writing because this does not mean anything."

Author and translator Alam Khorshed told Views Bangladesh, "This is unimaginable and completely unacceptable. If this happens, there will be no freedom of speech, and no freedom for writers, artists, and thinkers to express their thoughts and creations. This will severely disrupt our creativity and intellectual growth. No, this cannot be accepted under any circumstances."

"Such a proposal is shocking. No one with common sense can make such a proposal. Such an interference in the freedom of a writer has never happened in any country in history, under any regime. Hopefully, such a proposal will not be accepted by the government." Mahbub Aziz, writer

When asked about the issue, Dr. Sarker Amin, the secretary of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025 organizing committee, told Views Bangladesh, "The police have not sent any written communication to the Bangla Academy. The book fair will proceed as per the existing guidelines."

On Friday, January 31, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzad Ali and senior police officers observed the security situation at the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, where the Amar Ekushey Book Fair is held. During this, the police said that they wanted to verify the manuscripts of books before they are published at the fair.

A journalist asked whether there had been issues with book content in the past and whether the police had taken any steps to prevent such situations. In response, DMP Commissioner Sazzad said, "We have requested the Bangla Academy to ensure that no book with provocative content or inflammatory writings is presented at the fair. We asked them to scan and vet the books before they are displayed at the stalls. I hope they will perform their duties properly."

DMP Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam added, "We have suggested the Bangla Academy that, for future fairs, manuscripts of newly published books should be submitted to them in advance. They will review them, go through the content… We hope that starting next year, this process will be in place, and manuscripts must be submitted to the Bangla Academy before publication. Only with their approval books will be published."