Taslima Kolkata Return
Exiled Bangladeshi author and activist Taslima Nasrin returned to Kolkata on Friday after nearly 19 years, marking her first public visit to the city since she was forced to leave in 2007 following violent protests over her writings. Arriving at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Nasrin described the visit as an emotional homecoming and said she was delighted to be back in the city she has long considered her second home.
Taslima Nasrin lived in Kolkata between 2004 and 2007 after leaving Bangladesh because of threats linked to her writings on women’s rights, secularism and religious extremism. However, violent protests erupted in Kolkata in 2007 over her autobiography Dwikhandito, forcing the authorities to move her out of the city on security grounds.
After years of living in exile in different countries and spending much of her time in New Delhi under a long-term Indian visa, Nasrin finally returned to Kolkata. Speaking briefly to reporters at the airport, she said she felt happy and emotional, adding that Kolkata had always remained close to her heart.
Nasrin is scheduled to attend a programme at Rabindra Sadan, where she will participate in an event focusing on secular values and opposition to religious fundamentalism. Several literary personalities, academics and political leaders are expected to attend the programme.
Her visit has attracted significant public attention because it marks her first appearance in Kolkata since her departure nearly two decades ago. Security arrangements have also been strengthened around the venue considering the controversy that surrounded her previous stay in the city.
Nasrin’s comeback has once again sparked debate over freedom of expression, secularism and the treatment of writers facing threats because of their views. Supporters describe her return as a symbolic victory for democratic values and literary freedom, while critics argue that the controversies surrounding her writings remain unresolved.
Internationally recognised for books including Lajja and her autobiographical works, Nasrin has spent more than three decades living under threats from extremist groups. Despite years in exile, she has repeatedly expressed her desire to return to Kolkata, calling it a city that shares her language, literature and cultural roots.
Political observers believe her visit carries significance beyond literature, as it also reflects changing public attitudes toward freedom of speech and intellectual debate in eastern India. Whether the visit remains limited to cultural engagements or leads to broader public discussions remains to be seen, but her return has undoubtedly become one of the most talked-about events in West Bengal.
© Copyright 2026, cloudTV. All Rights Reserved
