Taslima Nasreen Warns of Shrinking Secular Space in Bangladesh Ahead of Kolkata Return

Exiled Bangladeshi novelist Taslima Nasreen, who has lived abroad since 1992, is set to return to Kolkata after a decade-long absence. In a recent interview, she warned that the space for secular thought in Bangladesh has narrowed significantly amid rising religious conservatism. Nasreen cited increasing censorship of literature and growing pressure on intellectuals as key factors eroding a once vibrant secular discourse. Her planned visit to Kolkata, a city known for its literary heritage, is seen as a symbolic gesture of solidarity with writers facing repression in South Asia.