Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is scheduled to visit Kolkata on August 1, almost two decades after being forced to leave due to protests over her writings, a return that has reignited political debate in West Bengal, particularly following the recent Bharatiya Janata Party's ascent to power. Nasrin is slated to participate in an anti-fundamentalism literary event, a move the BJP hails as a departure from the previous governments' alleged accommodation of religious fundamentalism and suppression of free speech, citing the past bans on her work and the refusal to facilitate her visits despite her repeated requests. Conversely, the Trinamool Congress accuses the BJP of politicizing Nasrin's visit, suggesting the ruling party is welcoming her due to her critical stance on Islam and parts of the Muslim community, a perspective that contrasts with Nasrin's own experiences of being forced out of Kolkata in 2007 after her autobiographical work *Dwikhandita* led to protests.

Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is scheduled to visit Kolkata on August 1, almost two decades after being forced to leave due to protests over her writings, a return that has reignited political debate in West Bengal, particularly following the recent Bharatiya Janata Party's ascent to power. Nasrin is slated to participate in an anti-fundamentalism literary event, a move the BJP hails as a departure from the previous governments' alleged accommodation of religious fundamentalism and suppression of free speech, citing the past bans on her work and the refusal to facilitate her visits despite her repeated requests. Conversely, the Trinamool Congress accuses the BJP of politicizing Nasrin's visit, suggesting the ruling party is welcoming her due to her critical stance on Islam and parts of the Muslim community, a perspective that contrasts with Nasrin's own experiences of being forced out of Kolkata in 2007 after her autobiographical work *Dwikhandita* led to protests.

Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is scheduled to visit Kolkata on August 1, almost two decades after being forced to leave due to protests over her writings, a return that has reignited political debate in West Bengal, particularly following the recent Bharatiya Janata Party's ascent to power. Nasrin is slated to participate in an anti-fundamentalism literary event, a move the BJP hails as a departure from the previous governments' alleged accommodation of religious fundamentalism and suppression of free speech, citing the past bans on her work and the refusal to facilitate her visits despite her repeated requests. Conversely, the Trinamool Congress accuses the BJP of politicizing Nasrin's visit, suggesting the ruling party is welcoming her due to her critical stance on Islam and parts of the Muslim community, a perspective that contrasts with Nasrin's own experiences of being forced out of Kolkata in 2007 after her autobiographical work *Dwikhandita* led to protests.

Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is set to visit Kolkata on August 1, nearly two decades after she was forced to leave the city following violent protests over her writings. Her scheduled return has reignited political debate in West Bengal.

Nasrin will participate in an anti-fundamentalism literary event at Rabindra Sadan, where she is expected to recite poetry.

The visit carries political significance as it comes months after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in West Bengal, ending the Trinamool Congress's more than 15-year rule.

Soon after Nasrin announced her visit on social media, the BJP described it as a symbolic moment and a departure from what it called the previous governments' accommodation of religious fundamentalism.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, and noted author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay are expected to attend the event.

A senior BJP leader told PTI that successive Left Front and TMC governments had prioritised political expediency over free speech by refusing to facilitate Nasrin's return, despite her repeated requests to visit Kolkata for literary events and book fairs.

Welcoming her visit, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya questioned why Nasrin's voice should be suppressed.

"She wrote Lajja on the persecution of a Hindu family in Bangladesh, yet the previous Left government banned her work. We welcome her visit to Kolkata," he said.

State minister Agnimitra Paul also welcomed Nasrin's visit, alleging that the previous TMC government had used different communities for political purposes.

"Today, under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's government, Taslima Nasrin is coming to Kolkata on August 1. This is a matter of pride and joy for us," she said.

The Trinamool Congress, however, accused the BJP of politicising the visit. TMC MLA Akhruzzaman alleged that the ruling party was welcoming Nasrin because of her criticism of Islam and sections of the Muslim community.

"She has spoken extensively against the Muslim community and Islamic Shariat. If someone speaks against Muslims, the double-engine government will honour them. What else is there to say?" he said.

Nasrin fled Bangladesh in 1994 after multiple fatwas called for her death following the publication of her novel *Lajja*, which depicts the persecution of a Hindu family in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition.

After spending nearly a decade in Europe and the United States, she moved to India in 2004 and settled in Kolkata, describing the Bengali-speaking city as her closest cultural refuge in exile.

However, in 2007, she was compelled to leave Kolkata after her autobiographical work Dwikhandita sparked protests from sections of Muslim organisations, culminating in violent demonstrations in parts of the city.