A 73-year-old Bangladeshi publisher has been arrested for "hurting" religious sentiments of people by launching a book that was deemed offensive by Islamists who warned of violent backlash.

Shamsuzzoha Manik was arrested on Monday night, hours after Bangla Academy shut his makeshift book stall at an ongoing book fair in the capital, fearing an assault by Islamists. Police kept strict vigil on the closed stall of Manik's 'Ba Dwip Prakashan' that was set up at the month-long Ekushey Book Fairinside the state-run Bangla Academy compound.

"We have filed a case accusing him (Manik) of hurting people's religious sentiments by publishing the book titled -- Islam Bitorko (Debate on Islam) - that carried derogatory remarks on Islam...we have also confiscated the book ," a police officer told PTI.

He said Manik and two of his associates were arrested after police received complaints from many people over the book launched by him. Police feared the book could trigger a law and order situation after a hardline Islamist group called Khelafat Andolon warned that it would storm the book fair unless Manik was arrested within 24 hours.

A Bangla Academy official said the book contained a chapter which appeared to be "offensive to us as well".

"We had asked publishers not to showcase any such controversial books in the fair stalls which could trigger religious controversy or hurt people's sentiments," academy's director general Shamsuzzaman Khan told reporters. The arrest of Manik comes at a time when several atheist bloggers, writers and publishers have been facing violence in Bangladesh.

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