Taslima Nasreen said during her Kolkata visit that she hopes to return next year for the Book Fair and Durga Puja. Her remarks underscored her affection for the city's cultural life nearly two decades after her forced exit.
Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen is in the city on a brief visit during which she has attended a series of public events. (File Photo)
Kolkata,Oct 11, 2026 22:47 IST
Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has said she hopes to return to Kolkata next year to attend the book fair and experience Durga Puja, saying the festival is "a celebration of artistic creations". She is in the city on a brief visit during which she has attended a series of public events.
Nasreen, who is scheduled to leave on Monday, said she was struck by the festive mood in the city and wants to spend more time here during both the late-January book fair and next year's Puja celebrations. This is her second visit to Kolkata since July, nearly 19 years after she was forced to leave the city in 2007 following violent protests against her memoir.
Speaking to reporters after attending a government programme organised on the occasion of Mahalaya at Eden Gardens on Saturday night, Nasreen said, "I hope to be around here next year. During my arrival and travel across the city, I saw marquees coming up. I am in love with the festivities here, which is a celebration of artistic creations."
She said she would not be able to stay for the entire Durga Puja this time but planned to be in the city during the festival next year. "I wish to visit Kolkata during the next book fair (in late January). I love to be among people. I don't need security; people of Bengal will give me security," she said on Saturday.
Nasreen also thanked the government for inviting her to the Mahalaya show and facilitating the brief visit. On Sunday, she recited poems from her new English-language children's book, Jasmine – The Girl Who Kept Asking Why, at a literary event in Salt Lake.
Nasreen arrived in Kolkata on October 7 and is due to leave the city on Monday. She had earlier returned on July 31 after nearly 19 years away. Having fled Bangladesh a decade before making Kolkata her home, she was forced to leave the city in 2007 after violent protests over her memoir.
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With PTI inputs