Publishers, sellers observe nationwide dawn-to-dusk strike
Monday, 11 January 2010
FE Report
Book publishers and sellers Sunday observed a nationwide dawn-to-dusk strike in protest against confiscation of, what they termed, exercise books under a 'backdated law' and police harassment.
During the strike, publishing houses and shops remained closed across the country including at the capital's Banglabazar, the largest book market in the country.
District-level branches of Bangladesh Book Publisher and Seller Association, a body of 25,000 publishers and sellers, also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner concerned of each district on the day, president of the association Abu Taher told the FE.
He said the current creative education system did not require notebooks, so the law, enacted in 1980 banning use of notebooks, stood backdated.
"But the law-enforcers are confiscating exercise books under the same law and filing cases against the publishers, printers and book sellers and even penalising them," Mr Taher said.
In the memorandum, the association demanded annulment of the law and sought the government's immediate intervention to save the industry.
Book publishers and sellers Sunday observed a nationwide dawn-to-dusk strike in protest against confiscation of, what they termed, exercise books under a 'backdated law' and police harassment.
During the strike, publishing houses and shops remained closed across the country including at the capital's Banglabazar, the largest book market in the country.
District-level branches of Bangladesh Book Publisher and Seller Association, a body of 25,000 publishers and sellers, also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner concerned of each district on the day, president of the association Abu Taher told the FE.
He said the current creative education system did not require notebooks, so the law, enacted in 1980 banning use of notebooks, stood backdated.
"But the law-enforcers are confiscating exercise books under the same law and filing cases against the publishers, printers and book sellers and even penalising them," Mr Taher said.
In the memorandum, the association demanded annulment of the law and sought the government's immediate intervention to save the industry.