PRAN-RFL pulls sanitary napkins display from Boi Mela to ‘honour religious sentiments’

The PRAN-RFL Group has announced the withdrawal of displaying women's health and hygiene products at the Ekushey Boi Mela to "honour religious sentiments".

In a media statement issued today (16 February), Kamruzzaman Kamal, PRAN-RFL Group marketing director, said "Stay Safe" was an emerging sanitary pad brand which was aimed for giveaways to help any woman visiting the book fair facing an emergency situation.

"Accordingly, Stay Safe hired a booth from the enlisted vendors of the Bangla Academy called Dream Donkey and was providing the pads to the women. On 14 February, Dream Donkey, through an official letter countersigned by the Bangla Academy DG, requested not to exhibit the Stay Safe brand and products. As per their letter, a faction of people complained that the product is not something that can be shown and displayed in public and that it hurts religious sentiment of the people.

"On receiving the letter today (16 February), and to honour people's religious sentiment, we have decided to close the services of Stay Safe at the book fair and thereby close the operations of the booths."

Sarker Amin, member secretary of the book fair management committee, however refuted this and said, "It's not a trade fair and you can't sell diapers or just any product. We told the sponsors that they cannot sell their products here at the book fair. There is no such rule to allow selling other products except books…"

Products from the sanitary napkin brand of PRAN-RFL were being displayed at the fair from the very first day. 

But upon receiving complaints, a letter was issued to PRAN-RFL.

In the letter, Dream Donkey Private Limited, an event management organisation, said after receiving objections from "several Islamist groups" that the products were private in nature and cannot be sold in public, the Bangla Academy had asked to replace these products in the stalls with other children-centric items. 

Chief Executive Officer Rakib Hasan Raz wrote to the PRAN-RFL group saying on 11 February, Islamist groups reportedly went to two stalls of Stay Safe and demanded the products no longer be displayed there. 

The next day, more people went to the stalls and demanded the same. 

"With the help of the police, volunteers and Bangla Academy authorities, we managed to control the situation. On 13 February, when both stalls were opened again, some people went to the Bangla Academy and complained about the sanitary napkin products at the stalls. As we are concerned about mob attacks taking place across the country centring on different issues, we recommend replacing the sanitary napkin products in these stalls with items for children's educational purposes."

Contacted, Rakib Hasan told The Business Standard, "We're not authorised to issue such letters. We were asked by the Bangla Academy to do so." 

Addressing the claim of sanitary napkins being sold at the fair, Rakib clarified, "The products were not being sold but were given away as a sample." 

PRAN-RFL's Assistant General Manager Towhiduzaman told the media that they have received the letter and denied that any products were being sold.

"We don't want to see any untoward situation centring the display of those products. There were objections regarding the display and demands to withdraw Stay Safe sanitary napkins from the stalls. As many women come to the fair, we simply showcased these products considering their needs." 

The decision to withdraw displaying women's health and hygiene products has met with widespread criticism on social media where netizens bashed the book fair authorities as considering sanitary napkins a taboo in the public eye.

Among many, one Facebook user posted a status saying, "In this man's world, this country is on a whole different level. You go somewhere, and there is no proper washroom, no basic sense of privacy….Among these countless issues, having a sanitary napkin stall at the boimela is the bare minimum you can offer us. And yet, after providing it, you take it away under pressure. This is disrespectful to all the women at the fair—writers, publishers, and readers alike. It is a direct insult from the book fair authorities, and I take it personally."