Crackdown on notebooks

Huge guidebooks and notebooks, kept for illegal sale at shops at Andarkilla Market in Chittagong city, were seized and later later burnt down in presence of a magistrate at Firingi Bazar Fishery Ghat yesterday.Photo: STAR

Law enforcers seized huge notebooks and guidebooks worth Tk 1.20 crore from two book markets in Chittagong city and a printing press and two bookshops in Jessore town yesterday and on Monday night.
In Chittagong, a mobile court aided by members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized banned notebooks and guidebooks of class-1 to class-X from different bookshops in the city's Andarkilla and Terri Bazar on Monday night and yesterday, reports our staff correspondent.
The law enforcers took the seized books to Firingi Bazar Fishery Ghat yesterday afternoon and burnt them.
Magistrate Khandaker Nurul Haque said they carried out the drives in the two markets taking Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association Chittagong unit General Secretary Nur Mohammad with them and seized huge notebooks and guidebooks worth around Tk 1 crore.
“We only seized banned notebooks and guidebooks of class-1 to class X,” the magistrate said, adding that no one was arrested in this connection and drive against the banned books will continue.
The association leaders in a statement yesterday alleged that the mobile court seized other books along with the banned ones.
They also requested the law enforcement agencies not to harass the booksellers in the name of drive.
In Jessore, the district administration with the help Rab and police seized over 14,000 notebooks and guidebooks worth around Tk 20 lakh from a printing press and two shops in the town yesterday.
Acting on a tip-off, a team comprising officials of the district administration, Rab and policemen raided Balaka Printing Press of Hasan Book Depot at Old Kasba in the town at around 10:30am and seized the banned books of class five to class eight from there, according to a correspondent.
Sensing the presence of the team, press manager and employees fled the scene. A case was filed in this connection with Sadar Police Station.
The team then raided Daratana book market and seized 1200 note and guidebooks from two bookstores. It (team) also realised Tk 4000 as fine from the booksellers.
Safina Begum, Assistant deputy Commissioner (education and development) said the dive will continue to stop selling of banned notebooks and guidebooks.