'Fear-Free Bengal': Suvendu Adhikari Invites Taslima Nasreen To Visit 'As Many Times As You Want'

Published 2 August 2026 · local

'Fear-Free Bengal': Suvendu Adhikari Invites Taslima Nasreen To Visit 'As Many Times As You Want' Published By, Last Updated: August 02, 2026, 07:41 IST Suvendu

'Fear-Free Bengal': Suvendu Adhikari Invites Taslima Nasreen To Visit 'As Many Times As You Want' Published By, Last Updated: August 02, 2026, 07:41 IST Suvendu Adhikari said Taslima Nasreen's presence demonstrated that democracy, constitutional values, freedom of speech and fundamental rights are now protected in Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. (PTI Photo) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari assured exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen of complete security whenever she visits the state. Addressing a literary event on anti-fundamentalism at Rabindra Sadan, where Taslima Nasreen made her first public appearance in Kolkata since leaving the city in 2007, Suvendu Adhikari said the state would uphold freedom of expression and constitutional rights. “It is my duty as the chief minister and also as the minister in charge of the police department to provide you with security whenever you visit West Bengal," Suvendu Adhikari said.

“Not just once, whenever you wish, come to West Bengal as many times as you want. You will receive complete security," he told Taslima Nasreen and the audience. Projecting the event as symbolic of a broader political shift, Suvendu Adhikari said Bengal had changed with the change of government. “This is a West Bengal free from shackles and fear. Every pillar of the Constitution is protected here. Everyone has the right to come here, and everyone has the freedom to express themselves," he said. Welcoming Taslima Nasreen to a “safe West Bengal", the chief minister said her presence demonstrated that democracy, constitutional values, freedom of speech and fundamental rights were now protected in the state. “Today it has been proved that under the new government democracy, the Constitution, freedom of speech and fundamental rights are protected in Bengal," he said.

Without naming any political party, Suvendu Adhikari contrasted the present with previous governments, saying, “The era of threats, intimidation, and attempts to silence people is over." The chief minister also presented Taslima Nasreen with a portrait of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, noting that this year marks the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The event marked Taslima Nasreen’s first public appearance in Kolkata since November 2007, when she was forced to leave the city following violent protests over portions of her autobiographical work Dwikhandito (Split: A Life). After demonstrations erupted across parts of West Bengal over the book, the then Left Front government banned it and, citing a deteriorating law and order situation, moved Taslima Nasreen out of Kolkata before she eventually left the state. Taslima Nasreen, internationally known for her criticism of religious fundamentalism and advocacy of women’s rights, has lived in exile since leaving Bangladesh in 1994 after receiving threats from Islamist groups over her writings.