NEW DELHI: Bangladeshi activist, physician, and author, Taslima Nasrin who has been living in exile in India for years now is concerned about the status of her residence permit.
“India has been home to me for years so I am a bit concerned about the status of the extension of my residence permit, which lapsed on July 27th. This is the first time that it has taken so long for the extension to come through. The status online shows that it is under process so I am optimistic that it could come through,” Taslima Nasrin told TNIE.
The author who had to leave Bangladesh after receiving death threats for her bold views and writing has been living in exile for decades now. She says that even though she has been in India continuously since 2011, she has been living here intermittently since 2005.
Nasrin says that her mobility is constrained at present as she is recovering from surgery, so travelling has become a challenge.
Meanwhile, regarding her home country Bangladesh she says that women’s rights are soon going to be a thing of the past due to increasing radicalisation.
“Universities have already begun to issue diktats where girl students have to follow a dress code which includes wearing a hijab/nakab/burkha. A bigger challenge that Bangladesh faces today is that Gen Z is heavily under the influence of radical Islamists,” Nasrin said.
She says former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, encouraged radical elements by constructing more madrasas than educational institutes which would encourage rational thinking.
Gen Z in Bangladesh was brought up in an environment which saw radicalisation on the ascendent as a result of which they have become extremely intolerant of anything unIslamic.
“The present interim government led by Professor Yunus in Bangladesh is an even more extreme version of the autocratic government led by Sheikh Hasina. Post Hasina’s exit, when minorities including Hindus were attacked, statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman vandalised the present government instead of stopping them termed it as a celebratory reaction of the regime change,” Nasrin said.
She also added that present-day Bangladesh has no freedom of expression and that human rights are being violated and women will soon be left without any rights with the imposition of Sharia or Islamic law.
“Those who attacked/killed bloggers, writers who were imprisoned under the earlier Awami League-led government have now been released, which is reflective of what the future holds for the country,” Nasrin added.
