Adarsha's participation: Bangla Academy seeks stay on HC order

Bangla Academy has moved a petition with the Supreme Court seeking a stay on a High Court order that ordered it to immediately allow publishing house "Adarsha Prokashoni" to participate in the ongoing Amar Ekushey Boi Mela.

Advocate Mintu Kumar Mondal submitted the petition to the Appellate Division of the SC on Sunday, saying that there is no scope for rearranging the stalls in Amar Ekushey Boi Mela now, as several days have passed after the stalls were allocated.

The lawyer today moved the stay petition before the court of Justice M Enayetur Rahim, chamber judge of the Appellate Division.

After a brief hearing, the apex court chamber judge sent the petition of Bangla Academy to its full bench for hearing the matter on Wednesday.

Lawyer Aneek R Haque appeared for Adarsha Prokashoni during hearing today.

Following the writ petition filed by Adarsha Prokashoni, the HC on February 8, directed Bangla Academy to immediately allow the publishing house to participate in the ongoing Amar Ekushey Boi Mela.

However, the HC ordered Adarsha Prokashoni not to sell or display three books, about which Bangla Academy raised objections, at its stall in the Boi Mela.

The three books are "Mediocrityr Sandhane", written by Faham Abdus Salam; "Unnayan Bivram", written by Zia Hasan, and "Aprotiroddho Unnayaner Ovabanio Kothamala", written by Foyez Ahmed Tayeb.

The court also issued a rule asking Bangla Academy and the government to explain why the academy's decision not to allow Adarsha Prokashoni to run its stall in Boi Mela should not be declared illegal.