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Taslima Nasrin to return to Kolkata after 20 years
NDTV··15 Jul
Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin will attend an anti-fundamentalism literary event at Kolkata's Rabindra Sadan on August 1, 2026, nearly two decades after she was forced to leave the city in November 2007. West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari is expected to attend. Organisers said the event celebrates her return after the BJP assumed office in the state.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Kolkata's literary and political circles face a symbolic free expression moment.
- The visit comes under a BJP government with a different stance on Nasrin.
- Religious sensitivities around her writings remain a live issue in Bengal.
What's Happening
- Taslima Nasrin will attend a Rabindra Sadan event on August 1.
- She was forced to leave Kolkata in November 2007 amid violent protests.
- CM Suvendu Adhikari is expected to attend the programme.
Exile and Return
- Nasrin fled Bangladesh in 1994 after fatwas over her novel Lajja.
- Army deployment was needed during 2007 protests in Kolkata.
- Left Front and TMC governments had not facilitated her return.
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