Eminent citizens condemn attack on Poet Radhapada Roy
Twenty five eminent citizens of the country condemned the attack on poet Radhapada Roy demanded speedy trial of the attackers.
In a statement issued on Tuesday (3 October), they said the incident of brutality against poet Radhapada Roy is not an isolated event. Almost every day, there are reports of assaults on cultural figures occurring somewhere in the country.
"We firmly believe that the practice of categorising each incident as an isolated event contributes to the rise of such occurrences. We are deeply ashamed, embarrassed and saddened by the incident. We urge swift legal action against the perpetrators to ensure justice is served," reads the statement.
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They noted that with the escalating numbers of people harbouring hostility towards culture, the growth of cultural activists and cultural events has not kept pace.
The eminent citizens also called upon every conscious citizen to come forward to address this situation.
The signatories include – Advocate Sultana Kamal, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Ramendu Majumder, Dr Sarwar Ali, Prof Syed Anwar Hossain, Khushi Kabir, Dr Fauzia Moslem, Advocate Rana Das Gupta, Dr Zobaida Nasreen and Robayet Ferdous.
Poet Radhapada Roy's family filed an attempted murder case against two individuals on Sunday (1 October).
According to the case statement, poet Radhapada and the accused have been long-time residents of the same locality, with a history of unresolved disputes and conflicts on various issues that led to ongoing intimidation. The hostile environment finally escalated into a violent confrontation on 30 September morning in the Nandanpur area of the upazila.
The accused physically assaulted Radhapada, inflicting severe injuries to various parts of his body. Shockingly, one of the accused even attempted to strangle the poet. Fortunately, Radhapad's screams for help prompted the attackers to flee the scene.
Following the assault, poet Radhapada Roy is now receiving treatment at Nageshwari Upazila Health Complex. While talking to the media, Radhapada described the sudden attack, narrating how he was ambushed near the river bridge close to his home on Saturday.
