[1] Shuddhashar was founded as a literary and cultural magazine in 1990 before transforming into a publishing house in the early 2000s.
[2] It aims to provide a platform for progressive ideas and critical thinking and publishes books on a wide gamut of topics, including literature, art, culture, politics, social justice, women's rights, and LGBT rights.
[3] On 31 October 2015, assailants armed with guns and machetes stormed into the Shuddhashar office, intending to kill its publisher, Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury; however, he survived despite sustaining injuries together with writer Randipam Basu, and blogger Tarek Rahim.
[4] Ansar Al Islam, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-continent (AQIS), claimed responsibility for the attack.
[3] After his release from the hospital, Ahmedur was forced into exile with his family and eventually found refuge in Norway in February 2016.