Kolkata Awaits Taslima Nasrin’s Return, Security Measures Intensified
IIE DIGITAL: Bangladesh-born author Taslima Nasrin is set to return to Kolkata on Friday after nearly two decades, with authorities putting extensive security measures in place ahead of her public appearance at Rabindra Sadan on Saturday.
Nasrin, who last lived in Kolkata before leaving the city in November 2007 amid widespread protests over her writings, will be the guest of honour at a literary programme organised to promote secular values and oppose religious fundamentalism. During the event, she will receive a civic felicitation, recite her poems and participate in an interactive discussion.
The programme has been jointly organised by the Secular Mission, the Human Rights and Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Foundation (HRBFF) and Poschimbongyer Jonnyo. Organisers said the event will bring together several prominent literary and public figures.
Sharing the stage with Nasrin will be Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, along with noted author Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay and Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta. Celebrated poet Joy Goswami is also expected to attend the two-and-a-half-hour programme.
Ahead of the event, senior Kolkata Police officials inspected Rabindra Sadan and finalised security arrangements. Around 1,000 attendees will be allowed inside the auditorium, while visitors will be prohibited from carrying bags, water bottles, umbrellas and other items into the venue.
Police have also prepared a comprehensive security plan for Nasrin's arrival. A joint team from Kolkata Police and the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate will receive her at the airport, while security personnel have already surveyed the locations she is scheduled to visit during her stay. She will be accompanied by a personal security officer and an escort vehicle throughout the visit.
Nasrin, who lived in Kolkata from 2004 to 2007, left the city after unrest linked to her autobiographical work Dwikhandito. The then Left Front government shifted her out of West Bengal following violent protests, and the controversial book was subsequently banned.
The celebrated writer, now a Swedish citizen residing in New Delhi on a long-term residence permit, has received several international honours, including the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. She is scheduled to conclude her Kolkata visit and depart on Monday morning.
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