The story so far
Taslima Nasreen Returns
Tracked across 4 sources · Updated 3h ago
Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen returned to Kolkata after 19 years, describing it as an emotional homecoming. She left in 2007 after protests over her memoir. Her return is seen as a reaffirmation of free speech, with a public event scheduled for August 1.
How it unfolded
12h ago
Nasreen returns to Kolkata after 19 years
2d ago
Nasreen says secular thought in Bangladesh has shrunk
What happened earlier
Latest updates
Latest
Full story →Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen arrives in Kolkata after 19 years
Taslima Nasreen arrived in Kolkata on Friday after nearly 19 years.
She was forced to leave in 2007 over protests against her memoir.
The visit was at the invitation of the organization Secular Mission.
Nasreen said she felt 'very good' upon arrival.
Earlier · 1d ago
Full story →Space for secular thought in Bangladesh has shrunk: Exiled writer Taslima Nasreen ahead of Kolkata return
Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen said space for secular thought in Bangladesh has 'shrunk dangerously' ahead of her first public appearance in Kolkata in nearly 19 years.
Nasreen will attend a programme in Kolkata on August 1, expected to be attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay.
Her last public appearance in Kolkata was in 2007, when protests over her memoir 'Dwikhandito' forced her to leave; the book was banned by the West Bengal government in 2003.
Nasreen described her return as a 'victory for freedom of expression' and said fundamentalists failed to silence her voice despite threats and fatwas.
She thanked the organisers and the West Bengal government for facilitating the visit and providing security.