Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen on Sunday compared the recent protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Delhi with the student-led uprising that resulted in the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. She urged people to take lessons from the developments that unfolded in Bangladesh afterward.
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, a day after her felicitation event was briefly disrupted, Nasreen said the events in Bangladesh should serve as a cautionary example.
"What is happening here reminds me of the July student movement in Bangladesh. People were misled, and the outcome has not been good. Jihadis have taken control there," she said.
Bangladesh witnessed months of student protests in 2024 over a contentious job quota system. The agitation gradually evolved into a broader anti-government movement, eventually forcing Sheikh Hasina to leave the country after weeks of unrest. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus later assumed charge of an interim government. Since then, the country has experienced political instability, with minority communities, including Hindus, repeatedly voicing concerns over attacks against them.
Nasreen alleged that the condition of Hindus had deteriorated under the interim administration.
"Hindus faced persecution during Hasina's tenure as well, but the atrocities have increased under the Yunus government," she claimed, attributing the situation to inadequate education and the growing influence of religious institutions.
Advocating secular reforms, Nasreen said religion should remain separate from governance. She criticised the madrasa education system, alleging that it fostered communal thinking, and argued that Bangladesh should prioritise secular education instead.
She also reiterated her support for a Uniform Civil Code, saying India, Bangladesh and Pakistan should adopt "one law for everyone" to ensure equal rights, especially for women.
Nasreen voiced support for jailed Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, saying she had joined others in protesting against his imprisonment.
Speaking about Bangladesh's political opposition, she said it would have been preferable if the Awami League had continued as the principal opposition instead of Jamaat-e-Islami. She opposed any attempt to ban the Awami League and said Sheikh Hasina should be allowed to return to Bangladesh despite her criticism of certain policies pursued during the former prime minister's tenure.
Nasreen also commented on the disruption during her felicitation at Kolkata's Rabindra Sadan on Saturday, where acclaimed Bengali poet Joy Goswami was prevented from addressing the audience following protests by a section of attendees.
"I felt hurt. It was not only an insult to Joy Goswami but also to me because I had invited him. Political opinions may differ, but everyone has the right to express their views," she said, adding that she intended to visit the poet at his residence.
Reflecting on the political treatment she has received over the years, Nasreen remarked, "One government barred me, one government expelled me, and one government invited me," apparently referring to the Left Front, the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.
She also thanked West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for assuring her security during her stay in Kolkata.
Expressing optimism about India-Bangladesh relations, Nasreen said India had played a significant role in Bangladesh's liberation in 1971 and hoped that ties between the neighbouring countries would remain cordial.
