Taslima Nasrin Set to Return to Kolkata After Nearly 20 Years in Exile

Exiled Bangladeshi poet and author Taslima Nasrin is set to return to Kolkata on August 1, marking her first visit to the city in nearly 20 years. She has been invited to participate in an anti-fundamentalism event organised by literary and social organisations at Rabindra Sadan. Nasrin herself announced the development through social media, describing it as the end of a long wait.

Nasrin left Kolkata in 2007 after violent protests and security concerns surrounding her writings. Since then, repeated efforts to facilitate her return had not materialised. Widely recognised for her outspoken views on secularism, women's rights and freedom of expression, her proposed visit is expected to attract significant attention from literary, cultural and political circles. Organisers said the invitation honours her longstanding stand against religious fundamentalism and her advocacy of free speech.