Shuddhashar was founded as a literary and cultural magazine in 1990 before transforming into a publishing house in the early 2000s. 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. In 2013, Shuddhashar was awarded the
Bangla Academy Shahid Munir Chowdhury Award. 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.
Ansar Al Islam, an offshoot of
Al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-continent (AQIS), claimed responsibility for the attack. Shuddhashar resumed its operations as an online magazine and publication in 2017. == References ==