SASNET Seminar with Anisur Rahman: "Censorship, Silence and Persecution of Writers in South Asia"

In recent years, South Asia has seen a rapid deterioration in press freedom and freedom of expression. Censorship, silence, and persecution of writers are increasingly prevalent in South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The severe decline in press freedom in Bangladesh, particularly in recent months following the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina regime, marks one of the most drastic setbacks in the country’s fifty-year history. 

In this SASNET seminar, Bengali-Swedish poet, playwright, public educator, and journalist Anisur Rahman will share his observations on this pressing issue, focusing on Bangladesh and drawing insights from his two-decade career in journalism and creative writing.

About the lecturer

Anisur Rahman has contributed to debate articles and journalistic writing for Scandinavian and South Asian media. He has also authored over fifty books across various literary genres, including prose, poetry, plays, and translations into multiple languages. A member of the board of the Swedish Writers’ Union and a lifetime member of Bangla Academy in Dhaka, formerly a guest writer Anisur is currently based in Sweden, working with the Centre for Literature in Uppsala. He divides his time between Uppsala and Dhaka.