Feels good to be back: Taslima Nasrin returns to Kolkata after nearly 2 decades

The exiled Bangladeshi author has returned for her first public appearance in Kolkata since 2007, nearly two decades after violent protests forced her to leave the city she calls home.Taslima Nasrin arrived at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport from New Delhi, where she was welcomed by supporters. Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin returned to Kolkata on Friday, nearly two decades after she was forced to leave the city following violent protests over her controversial memoir Dwikhandito.Nasrin arrived at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport from New Delhi, where she was welcomed by supporters. Greeting those gathered to receive her with folded hands, she said, "I'm feeling very good to be back."Her visit comes ahead of a public programme in Kolkata on August 1, marking her first public appearance in the city since she left in 2007.Nasrin was forced to leave Kolkata in November 2007 after violent protests by Islamist groups demanding a ban on Dwikhandito, the Bengali version of her memoir. The unrest prompted the then West Bengal government to move her out of the state. She was later shifted to Delhi under tight security before eventually moving abroad. Born in Mymensingh in present-day Bangladesh, Nasrin has lived in exile since 1994 after facing death threats and legal action over her writings. Her novel Lajja, which highlighted the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in India, drew widespread attention and sparked fierce opposition from hardline groups.Over the years, Nasrin has repeatedly expressed her desire to return to Kolkata, which she has often described as her second home. She has also remained a vocal advocate for free speech, secularism, women's rights and the separation of religion and state. Her return comes at a time when discussions about freedom of expression and the treatment of exiled writers continue to resonate across South Asia. While this is her first visit to Kolkata in nearly two decades, it also marks her first public engagement in the city since her departure in 2007.Speaking briefly to reporters at the airport, Nasrin reiterated that she was happy to be back in the city she has long held close to her heart.- EndsPublished By: Koustav DasPublished On: Jul 31, 2026 13:38 IST