‘Took me 19 years to say I have returned to Kolkata’: Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin

Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin has returned to Kolkata after more than 18 years, marking a significant personal milestone. She described her return as a feeling of reclaiming a lost part of her life, stating, “It took me around 19 years to say that I have returned to Kolkata.” Nasrin explained that for an exiled person, each year represents a closed door, each month a wait, and each day the pain of losing one's address.

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It took me around 19 years to say that I have returned to Kolkata.

Nasrin was compelled to leave Kolkata in November 2007 by the then Left Front government. She has been residing in Delhi since 2011, holding a long-term resident permit granted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Her return was celebrated at a cultural and felicitation program in Kolkata, organized by three groups: Paschimbonger Jonno, Human Rights Beyond Frontiers, and Secular Mission.

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In an exiled person’s calendar, each passing year is not just a measure of time. Every year is like a closed door, every month is a wait and every day bears the pain of losing her address.

The 63-year-old author was forced to flee Bangladesh in 1994 due to death threats from Muslim organizations over her writings, including the book Lajja (shame). After living in various countries in Europe, she has been in exile in India since 2004. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari attended the event and extended a warm welcome, saying, “You are welcome. You have experienced the change in West Bengal. You can come to West Bengal not just once, but as many times you want.”

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After returning to Kolkata, I feel like coming back to a part of life which I left behind here.