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Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin, who was forced to leave the Indian state of West Bengal nearly two decades ago during the Left Front government, is set to return to Kolkata under the BJP-led administration.
The writer announced on Facebook that she will attend an anti-fundamentalism literary event at Rabindra Sadan on August 1.
Nasrin was driven into exile from Bangladesh nearly three decades ago after facing threats from religious extremists following the publication of her novel Lajja. After living in several countries, she eventually settled in Kolkata, where she purchased an apartment with the hope of spending her life writing in peace.
However, in 2007, protests by Islamist groups in West Bengal intensified, prompting the Left Front government to move her from Kolkata to a secure location in New Delhi. During that period, the West Bengal government also banned her book Dwikhandito.
Since then, Nasrin has been living under security protection in New Delhi.
The upcoming Kolkata event is being organized by Secular Mission and HRBFF. Promotional material for the program describes Nasrin as a “fiery symbol of resistance against religious fundamentalism.”
The announcement marks Nasrin’s first public return to Kolkata in nearly 20 years, a city she once considered her permanent home.