Taslima Nasrin Returns to Kolkata After Nearly 19 Years

Kolkata, July 2026 : Renowned Bangladeshi author and poet Taslima Nasrin returned to Kolkata on Friday, nearly 19 years after she left the city following violent protests triggered by controversy surrounding her book Dwikhandito (The Bifurcated).

Nasrin arrived at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at around 12:50 p.m., marking a significant moment for the writer, who has maintained a strong emotional connection with Kolkata despite living away from the city for years.

She received a warm welcome from supporters, with conch shells being blown as she arrived. Visibly emotional, Nasrin said she was happy to be back in the city.

“I feel so good to come here again,” she said.

Nasrin is scheduled to participate in a cultural programme at Rabindra Sadan in central Kolkata on Saturday. The event is being organised by several cultural organisations, including the Secular Mission. Sources said West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is also likely to attend the programme.

Given the security concerns surrounding Nasrin’s return, the state police administration has assured adequate security arrangements throughout her stay in West Bengal. Her return comes nearly two decades after her departure amid widespread protests over her writings.

The controversy erupted in 2007 when the publication of Dwikhandito, an autobiographical novel, triggered violent demonstrations in parts of Kolkata. The situation became tense in several minority-dominated areas, eventually prompting the administration to deploy the Army to restore order.

The then West Bengal government, led by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, subsequently banned the circulation of the book in the state. Nasrin was also asked to leave Kolkata amid mounting protests and security concerns.

Her departure triggered widespread debate among writers, intellectuals and civil society groups across the country. Several literary circles criticised the Left Front government for failing to protect the freedom of expression and for allegedly yielding to pressure from conservative and fundamentalist groups.

The controversy was particularly significant because the Left government had long projected West Bengal as a state committed to secularism, cultural freedom and intellectual openness.

Nasrin’s absence from Kolkata continued even after the change of government in 2011, when the Trinamool Congress came to power under Mamata Banerjee. She did not return to the city during the subsequent years of the Trinamool Congress administration.

Over the years, Nasrin continued to express her attachment to Kolkata, a city where she had spent a significant part of her literary life. Her writings, which have frequently addressed women’s rights, religious orthodoxy and social inequalities, have also made her a controversial and influential figure in South Asian literary circles.

Her return on Friday has therefore attracted considerable attention from literary and cultural groups as well as political observers.

The cultural programme at Rabindra Sadan on Saturday is expected to provide Nasrin an opportunity to reconnect publicly with Kolkata’s literary and artistic community after a prolonged absence.

Her return also revives discussions surrounding freedom of expression, artistic liberty and the responsibilities of governments in protecting writers and artists amid social and political tensions. For Nasrin, however, the visit represents a long-awaited return to a city that she has repeatedly described as close to her heart.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)