Renowned Bangladeshi author and poet Taslima Nasrin returned to Kolkata on Friday, nearly 19 years after leaving the city following violent protests triggered by her controversial book ‘Dwikhandito (The Bifurcated)’ in 2007.
Nasrin arrived at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 12:50 PM. She received a grand welcome, accompanied by the sound of conch shells.
An emotional Nasrin expressed her happiness, saying she felt delighted to return to the city.
The state police arranged comprehensive security to ensure her safety throughout her stay in West Bengal.
Nasrin will address a cultural programme at Rabindra Sadan in central Kolkata on Saturday. Several cultural organisations, including Secular Mission, have organised the event.
Sources said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is also expected to attend.
Nasrin’s departure from Kolkata in 2007 followed widespread violence in several minority-dominated localities over the publication of ‘Dwikhandito (The Bifurcated)’.
The unrest escalated significantly, prompting the administration to deploy the Army to restore order.
The then Left Front government, led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, banned the circulation of the book in West Bengal and asked Nasrin to leave the city.
The restrictions effectively continued during the Trinamool Congress government between 2011 and 2026.
During this period, the then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not initiate any measures to facilitate Nasrin’s return.
The decision to remove Nasrin from Kolkata drew widespread criticism from literary circles across the country.
Critics questioned why a government that championed secular values yielded to pressure from fundamentalist groups and prevented the celebrated writer from remaining in the state.
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