Controversial writer Taslima Nasrin invited back to Kolkata after nearly two decades

The Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin was invited to return to Kolkata on August 1 after nearly two decades, following protests over her memoir Dwikhondito in 2007. Her exclusion began due to the controversial novel Lajja (1993). The invitation, seen as a repudiation of censorship, marks a shift from "appeasement politics." Nasrin's work challenges religious fundamentalism and misogyny, emphasizing the importance of debating ideas in a democracy.