Muhith against banning Khandker's book

Finance Minister AMA Muhith does not favour banning a book by AK Khandker Bir Uttam on the Liberation War that drew flak from MPs for alleged distortion of history.

"I strongly reject the demand raised [by other MPs] in Parliament," he said to the media on Friday.

"No books, no matter how disgraceful they are, should be banned," the minister said at the inauguration of a book festival in Dhaka.

File Photo

The festival will run until Sept 19 and organisers say 59 publishers are taking part in it.

On Thursday, MPs slated Khandker, the deputy chief of the Mukti Bahini, for claiming that independence hero Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had said 'Joy Pakistan' at the end of his historic Mar 7 speech in 1971.

Muhith said the 'objectionable' parts in the book should be responded to with writings.

"Many people write their opinions differently. You, too, have a weapon. Why don't you protest against it through your writings?" he asked.