Bookshops to close down on Monday in protest against attacks on publishers

Bookshops and those dealing in educational material across Bangladesh will close down for half a day on Monday to protest the vicious attack on two publishers, the country's Publishers & Booksellers Guild has said.

A guild statement said that all bookshops and those dealing in educational material will remain closed until 2pm on Monday.

One of the publishers died of sharp cut wounds and another is recuperating in the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital after the murderous attacks on Saturday afternoon.

A third publisher said on Sunday that he had received death threats 'for publishing books written by atheists’.

The shops at Aziz Supermarket at Dhaka's Shahbagh, where publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan was killed, will remain closed for three days (Sunday to Tuesday), said the malls cooperative society president Najmul Ahsan Naju.

The Booksellers and Publishers Guild's chairperson Sikdar Loton told bdnews24.com that they will also observe three days of mourning.

Memorandum demanding protection for publishers and booksellers will be submitted to authorities in all districts, he said.

The Booksellers and Publishers will also form a 'human chain' in front of the National Press Club on Monday, Loton said.

They will hoist black flags in their offices, their members will wear black badges and take out silent processions in protest against the attacks.

Robin Ahsan representing the Creative Publishers Association said all organisations representing the trade will join the protests.

The Aziz Cooperative Supermarket have declared they will keep their shops closed  for three days.

The cooperative's treasurer Kamaluddin Ahmed said such murders were not acceptable. "The government has to bring to justice the killers .This cannot go on."