Plea to file case against Serajul Islam Choudhury, two others

A plea has been placed at the Chattogram court seeking to file a case against three persons including emeritus professor of Dhaka University Serajul Islam Choudhury.

In protest against the plea, the Left Democratic Alliance has said that those in power are nakedly clamping down on free intellect, thinking and freedom of speech by bringing case against respected persons and writers.

A writing of Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury appeared in a publication of the Chattogram-based organisation of writers and litterateurs, Chattogram Academy.

A local Awami League activist appealed to the court on Tuesday, claiming that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been ridiculed in the writing. In the plea, allegations had also been brought against the Bangla Academy award-winning writer of children’s literature Rashed Rauf and writer Nesar Ahmed.

The court has fixed Sunday to declare whether it will accept the case or not. The Left Democratic Alliance issued a statement in protest on Wednesday.

Signatories of the protest include Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) president Mujahidul Islam Selim, Bangladesh Democratic Front coordinator Bazlur Rashid Firoz, BSD general secretary Khalequzzaman, Biplobi Workers Party general secretary Saiful Huq, Gono Sanghati Andolan chief coordinator Zunaid Saki, CPB general secretary Shah Alam, Bangladesh United Communist League general secretary Mosharraf Hossain, Gonotantrik Biplobi Party general secretary Mushrefa Mishu, Workers Party (Marxist) general secretary Iqbal Kabir Zahid, BSD (Marxist) acting coordinator Fakhruddin Kabir and Samajtantrik Andolan president Hamidul Huq.

The statement said, “The government, detached from the people, is startled even at the fall of a leaf. That is why they are active in snatching away people’s right to speak. The present government is harassing free thinking people through cases in order to continue their fascist rule.”