Poet Sohel Hasan Galib is reportedly detained, and the Ujan stall remains closed during the Book Fair. Poet Sohel Hasan Galib has reportedly been detained by the police, according to his family members. However, no official statement has been issued by the police regarding the matter.
Poet Sohel Hasan Galib is: A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Galib was taken into custody on Thursday night and held at the Detective Branch office on Minto Road. He was later presented in court on Friday afternoon.
“This has been done entirely for his safety,” claimed the officer.
Attempts to contact officials from the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, including the head of the department and the Deputy Commissioner of Public Relations, have been unsuccessful.
Galib’s elder brother, Nazmul Huda Setu, confirmed, “The police have taken Galib. We have heard that he was presented in court today.” He also mentioned that family members were able to speak with Galib after he was taken into custody.
Since Thursday night, Galib had been unreachable. His Facebook account has been deactivated, and his mobile phone remains switched off.
Many members of the literary community have expressed concern over his disappearance on social media, demanding updates on his whereabouts.
On Friday afternoon, Aaniket Shamim, editor of the literary magazine Lok, posted on Facebook, saying,
“Galib’s life is in danger. A collective effort from conscious writers and artists is needed to protect him.”
Aaniket Shamim further stated, “We have not been able to reach Galib since last night.”
He also wrote, “Due to a complete misunderstanding over one of his poems, extremist groups and religious fanatics are endangering his life and attempting to incite mob violence. No one knows his current whereabouts.”
“I believe that those trying to create a mob against Galib are acting irrationally. Their excessive reaction and chaotic behavior will not lead to anything positive. Even though Galib had aligned himself with some of these people in the recent political turmoil, they have misunderstood him.”
The controversy arose over a poem written by Galib in a recently published book, leading to accusations that he had allegedly insulted the Prophet.
The book was published by Ujan, which has kept its stall closed at the book fair for the past three days due to security concerns.
A visit to the Ujan stall on Friday afternoon revealed that it was covered with tarpaulin.
Speaking to  Ujan’s publisher, Soroshoirjo Muhammad, said, “We have closed our stall due to security concerns.”
Regarding the stall closure, Selim Reza, the convener of the Book Fair Task Force Subcommittee, stated,
“The fair management did not close any stalls. The publisher chose to shut it down on their own.”
