Two stalls closed for selling sanitary napkins at the book fair. The Bangla Academy has shut down two stalls at the Ekushey Book Fair for selling sanitary napkins meant for women’s health protection. The stalls were closed on Sunday (February 16) afternoon. The fair authorities stated that the decision was made due to the sale of unauthorized products at the book fair.
Two stalls closed for selling : According to sources, the brand Stay Safe, which focuses on women’s and children’s health protection products, had been operating two stalls at the Suhrawardy Udyan section of the fair since its beginning. However, both stalls were shut down on Sunday.
Reports suggest that concerns were raised over the sale of what was termed a “secret product” at the book fair. Following these objections, the event management company in charge instructed Pran-RFL, the company behind Stay Safe, to stop exhibiting or selling the product and replace it with other items. In response, Pran-RFL withdrew the product from the fair on Sunday.
The Bangla Academy stated, “Only books can be sold at the book fair, which is why this decision was made.” However, they denied any knowledge of the letter issued regarding the matter. Meanwhile, the event management company claimed that they acted in accordance with the Bangla Academy’s decision. The company that produces Stay Safe responded, “It wasn’t just being sold at the fair; we were also distributing free samples.”
The stalls have been covered with black cloth following their closure.
When the letter regarding the closure went viral on Facebook, it sparked widespread criticism. The letter mentioned that “Pran-RFL Group’s women’s and children’s health protection brand ‘Stay Safe’ was operating two stalls at the book fair. Since February 11, several objections have been raised, referring to sanitary napkins as a ‘secret product’ and demanding that their public display and sale be stopped. Over several days, groups of people protested against it. With the help of Bangla Academy, police, Ansar personnel, and event management volunteers, the situation was controlled. However, on February 13, after reopening the stalls, some groups directly filed complaints with the Bangla Academy.”
The letter also stated that, to avoid any unwanted situations, the stalls should be replaced with other products, such as children’s educational materials, considering the business interests of Pran-RFL Group.
Touhiduzzaman, Assistant General Manager of Pran-RFL, told the media, “We received the letter, and we don’t want this to become an issue. Since objections were raised, we are removing the Stay Safe corner from the fair today. However, we were not only selling the product but also distributing free samples. Many women visit the fair, so we had this initiative for their convenience. Now, we are stepping back.”
Regarding the closure of the stalls based on public objections, the fair organizing committee’s secretary and Bangla Academy director, Sarker Amin, told “Diapers or other such products cannot be sold at the book fair. This is not a trade fair. We informed the sponsor that while their sponsorship is appreciated, such products cannot be sold here. There is no policy allowing the sale of non-book items at the fair. I am not aware of the letter.”
However, the viral letter bears the signature of Bangla Academy’s Director General, Professor Mohammad Azam, who wrote, “You are already aware of this situation. Immediate action is necessary.”
Raqib Hasan, Director and CEO of Donkey Dream, confirmed the authenticity of the letter to the media.
He stated, “Since many women visit the book fair, we had no objections to sanitary napkins being available at the stalls for the sake of women’s health awareness. However, some individuals protested against it, calling it a ‘secret product.’ To avoid any unpleasant situations, we were forced to request the company to remove the sanitary napkins. They later withdrew their products.”
On Sunday afternoon, upon visiting the book fair, the two stalls were found closed and covered with black cloth.
When contacted, Bangla Academy’s secretary and head of the book fair task force committee, Selim Reza, told the media, “The Bangla Academy decided to close these two stalls for selling unauthorized products at the fair.”
