Writer Taslima Nasrin to Return to Kolkata After 2 Decades

Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin is likely to return to West Bengal nearly after 20 years.

She is expected to take part in the an event organised by anti-fundamentalist poets and writers at Rabindra Sadan on August 1. Secular Mission and the Human Rights and Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Foundation (HRBFF) are organizing the event.

The writer was forced to leave the country when the Left Front ruled West Bengal as her writing triggered violent protests, creating law and order issues. Her book Dwikhandito was banned in the state.

She had lived in Kolkata between 2004 and 2007.

In the last two decades, many attempts to facilitate her return have been thwarted by recurring security concerns.

Known for her outspoken views on women's rights and secularism, Nasrin has not only earned international acclaim for her works, but also has created controversies. Her comments on conservative interpretations of Islam have often triggered protests.

For over 30 years now, the Bangladeshi author has been living in exile. She escaped from her country in 1994 following fatwa against her. The next several years, she stayed in the Europe before moving to India.

After she fled Kolkata in 2007, she briefly stayed in Jaipur before settling in New Delhi in 2011 on a long-term residence permit that is renewed annually.

In 2024, Nasrin faced a period of profound uncertainty regarding her status in India as her residence permit expired, the online renewal portal stalled on an "updating" status, leaving her without a clarity.

In September 2024, she publicly expressed her anxiety over the delay, a concern exacerbated by the political turmoil in her native Bangladesh following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Her situation was resolved, and her residence permit was renewed following an intervention by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.