Taslima Nasreen's Return to Kolkata: A Symbol of India's Soft Power and Its Limits Taslima Nasreen, a Bangladeshi writer and longtime critic of Islamic fundamentalism, has returned to Kolkata after nearly two decades in exile.
Her reappearance is a testament to the complex dynamics at play between India and Bangladesh, as well as the tension between India's soft power ambitions and its own internal contradictions.
Nasreen's 19 year absence from Kolkata was marked by controversy and censorship, with her book "Lajja" being banned in Bangladesh for its depiction of Muslim fundamentalism.