'Some madrasas produce jihadis, should not exist': Taslima Nasreen sparks row with remarks on religious schools

Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen said in Kolkata that madrasas 'should not exist', alleging some produce jihadis and witness child abuse.

Nasreen claimed 'imams and madrasa teachers are being held' for rapes and child abuse, and argued punishment alone won't help.

She called for a transformation of the education system, replacing madrasas with secular schools, and said 'no one does anything after passing out of madrasas... they beg, survive on charity'.

Nasreen also alleged that 'a lot of masjids have turned out to become jihad-producing factories', without providing evidence.

Nasreen returned to Kolkata on Friday for the first time in nearly 19 years, calling it a homecoming to 'my own country'.