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Publisher of ‘offensive’ anti-Islam book arrested in Bangladesh

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Bangladesh police have arrested and charged a publisher after Islamists in the Muslim-majority nation warned of violent protests over one of his books which they deemed offensive, an officer said on Tuesday.

Police also shut down Shamsuzzoha Manik’s stall at the country’s book fair in Dhaka where he was selling copies of “Islam Bitorko” (Islam Debate), which includes a controversial chapter on sex and Muslims.

“There was a chapter entitled ‘Muslim Manosher Jouna Bikriti’ (sexual perversion of the Muslim mind). The contents were offensive,” said senior police officer Abu Baker Siddique.

“We got complaints from many people and we were worried that it could trigger a serious deterioration of law and order,” he told.

Manik was the translator and publisher of the book.

The 73-year-old’s arrest on Sunday comes amid mounting fears over freedom of speech in conservative Bangladesh, which has seen a series of killings of secular bloggers and publishers blamed on Islamist militants.

A small hardline Islamist group called Khelafat Andolon (Caliphate Movement) warned on Sunday that it would storm the month-long book fair unless Manik was arrested within 24 hours.

Police have charged Malik under the country’s tough Internet law with publishing material that hurts religious beliefs. He faces up to 14 years in jail if convicted.

Police arrested Malik, the owner of publishing firm Ba-dwip Prokashoni, at his home in the capital and raided his offices, seizing copies of the book.

“We’ve confiscated the book after we’ve found it can hurt religious sentiment of Muslims,” Siddique said.

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