… then I will die, Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen in trouble, her permit to stay in India has expired

New Delhi: Famous Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen is living in India. But now a new problem has arisen regarding her stay in India. Actually, her permission to stay here expired in July and it has not been renewed yet. Taslima has been a critic of religious fundamentalism, so she fears that if she is not allowed to stay in India, it will be difficult for her.

Nasreen has been living in India since 2001

Taslima Nasreen is currently living in India as a refugee. She has requested the Indian government to renew her permit to stay here. Her permit expired in July. Taslima is a Swedish citizen and has been living in India since 2011. She said that she is not getting any response from the government officials.

Keeps checking the renewal application again and again

Talking to a private media channel, Nasreen expressed her concern. She said, “I like living in India, but it has been almost one and a half months and my stay permit has not been renewed yet.” She further said that she does not know whom to contact in the Union Home Ministry. While checking the status of her application online, she said, “I do not talk to anyone. I keep checking my application online, but have not received any confirmation yet. Even now the status on the website is showing ‘updating’. This has never happened before.”

Is there any connection with the current situation in Bangladesh?

When asked if the current situation in Bangladesh was hindering her permit renewal, she denied any connection. She said, ‘I have nothing to do with Bangladesh and its politics. I live here as a Swedish citizen. And my permit was revoked even before the current Bangladesh dispute.’ A similar incident happened in 2017, which she described as a technical problem.

Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia were accused

Nasrin, a strong critic of religious fundamentalism, is now worried about her future. She said, ‘People think that I have connections with the government and politicians, but it is not so. Because if I do not get the permit, I will definitely die, now I am in no position to go anywhere.’ Nasrin alleged that Sheikh Hasina and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia played a role in keeping her out of Bangladesh. She alleged that both of them did not let me stay in Bangladesh and encouraged Islamic fundamentalists.

She fled from Bangladesh in 1994 after a fatwa was issued

Nasreen’s exile has been a long and tumultuous journey. She first fled Bangladesh in 1994 when a fatwa was issued against her for her writings, and after spending several years in Europe, she decided to settle in India. After living in Kolkata from 2004-2007, Nasreen was expelled from the city due to protests by fundamentalists. Her book ‘Dwikhandito’ was banned and she had to leave the state under pressure from the leftist government. She lived in Jaipur for a while before moving to Delhi, where she has been living since 2011, renewing the permit every year. The uncertainty over Nasreen’s future in India comes at a time when minorities and opponents of the military-backed regime in Bangladesh are being targeted for violence.