West Bengal CM assures safety for Taslima Nasrin return

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari publicly assured exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin of her safety and a welcome return to the state during a literary event in Kolkata on August 1, 2026. The event at Rabindra Sadan marked Nasrin's first public appearance in the city in nearly 19 years, following her departure in November 2007 amid violent protests over her writings.

Chief Minister Adhikari, who also holds the police portfolio, directly addressed Nasrin from the stage, stating that providing her security was his constitutional responsibility. He invited her to visit West Bengal whenever she wished and as many times as she wanted, declaring that the era of threats and intimidation was over. Adhikari framed her return as proof of a transformed political climate, asserting that democracy, the Constitution, and freedom of speech are now protected in the state. As a symbolic gesture, he presented Nasrin with a portrait of 19th-century Bengali writer Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

Taslima Nasrin, a physician and human rights activist known for her writings on women's rights and criticism of religious fundamentalism, was exiled from Bangladesh in 1994 after facing death...