Kolkata, August 2: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has honored exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin, who returned to the state after 19 years.
During the ceremony, Chief Minister Adhikari emphasized that West Bengal welcomes everyone and upholds freedom of speech. The renowned author arrived in West Bengal yesterday and participated in the event today, showcasing that the new government safeguards democracy, the constitution, freedom of expression, and fundamental rights in Bengal.
Taslima Nasrin, a prominent writer of Bangladeshi origin, publicly returned to Kolkata for the first time in nearly two decades on Saturday.
Her return was anticipated in March 2025 when the West Bengal BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP, Samik Bhattacharya, raised the demand in the upper house of Parliament for her to be allowed back in Kolkata. This request followed a controversy where the then Trinamool Congress government was accused of blocking a play based on her famous book “Lajja.” Published in 1993, “Lajja” depicts the atrocities faced by a Hindu family in Bangladesh after the Babri Masjid demolition, leading to severe backlash against her in her home country.
Taslima Nasrin has faced continuous threats due to her criticism of religious extremism, advocacy for women’s rights, and opposition to discrimination in the name of religion. Extremists even placed a bounty on her head, forcing her to leave Bangladesh in 1994, and she has lived in exile ever since.
In 2004, she made Kolkata her base, but was compelled to leave the state in 2007 due to violent protests against her autobiographical book “Dwikhandito,” with the then Left Front government citing security concerns.
Although there was never an official ban on her return, Kolkata remained effectively closed to her during the tenure of the Trinamool Congress government. Subsequently, she settled in New Delhi.
While Taslima Nasrin was not born in Kolkata, she has always regarded it as her “City of Joy.” For her, this city has been a hub of language, literature, culture, and deep connections, where she found a second home.
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