 "Taslima Nasreen")
Nasreen has been living in exile since 1994 after she faced criticism from Islamist fundamentalists for her writings on communalism and women’s equality in Bangladesh | Photo: X@taslimanasreen
The same Islamists who threw her out have forced Sheikh Hasina to leave Bangladesh, says author Taslima Nasreen, exiled from the country in the 1990s following protests over her book “Lajja”.
On Monday, Hasina resigned and fled the country amid massive public anger over her government’s controversial quota system reserving 30 per cent jobs for families of veterans who fought the 1971 liberation war. More than 400 people have been killed in the protests.
Nasreen has been living in exile since 1994 after she faced criticism from Islamist fundamentalists for her writings on communalism and women’s equality in Bangladesh.
Some of her books, including her breakthrough novel “Lajja” (1993) and her autobiography “Amar Meyebela” (1998), were banned by the Bangladesh government for their subject matter.
“Lajja” attracted severe criticism as it detailed violence, rape, lootings and killings of Bengali Hindus after the Babri Masjid demolition in India.
“Hasina had to resign and leave the country. She was responsible for her situation. She made Islamists to grow. She allowed her people to involve in corruption. Now Bangladesh must not become like Pakistan. Army must not rule. Political parties should bring democracy & secularism,” the feminist author said in another post on Monday.
As her country descended into chaos, Hasina fled in a military aircraft and landed in Hindon near New Delhi while the army stepped in to fill the power vacuum.
On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told an all-party meeting that India has assured her help and given her time to decide the future course of action.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Aug 06 2024 | 1:46 PM IST
