The Hague showing solidarity to people who are putting their lives on the line for freedom of expression
Press Release 21/02/2017
Hypatia comes to our town
In one of the most despicable attempts to restrict free expression to be seen in recent times, Bangla Academy has tried to impose a two-year ban on "Srabon Prokashoni," a secular publishing house.
A Disconcerting Act - Bangladesh Government Files Charges Against Publisher Shamsuzzoha Manik
It is with utmost consternation that we observe that recently Bangladesh Government has filed charges under the infamous Article 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act against publisher Shamsuzzoha Manik. the 73-year old owner of the Bod-dip publishing house. Mr. Manik, was arrested by police on February 15, 2016 at the annual Dhaka Ekushey book fair for publishing and selling books that were deemed offensive to Islam. Since then he was consistently denied bail thus violating the rights guaranteed by the Bangladesh constitution with respect to freedom of expression. We worry about Mr. Manik's failing health during his prolonged detention; our hope is that the authorities would drop the charges against him in view of his deteriorating health. Below we reproduce the statement from PEN America that was issued on June 20, 2016 regarding Mr. Manik.
Blasphemy and the right to offend
The right to express one's opinion freely is maybe the most important democratic right, and it is currently under assault in Bangladesh. Hifazat-e-Islam demands the introduction of strict blasphemy laws, and the government, instead of defending freedom, resorts to an ill-advised and imprudent appeasement strategy that hinders the press in its duty to inform the public, threatens the futures of young bloggers who were, and continue to be, arrested, and puts in peril the future of the democracy of the country.