Kolkata | Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Sunday strongly pitched for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in India, asserting that such a law was essential to eliminate discrimination, particularly against women.
She also stressed the need for such a law in neighbouring Bangladesh and Pakistan.
"All advanced countries have UCC-like laws. Bangladesh, Pakistan and India need a Uniform Civil Code. There should be equal laws for everyone. Women face a great deal of discrimination, and much of it can be removed through a UCC. It is essential," Nasreen told reporters at a press conference here.
Her remark comes after the West Bengal government had constituted a high-level committee to examine a draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the state.
A government notification said the panel was formed in view of the "wide ramifications and voluminous nature" of the proposed legislation. The committee will undertake a comprehensive examination of the draft Bill before any further steps are taken, it said.
Referring to Bangladesh, the 63-year-old writer said equality was the cornerstone of civilisation, but many women continued to face discrimination.
"In Bangladesh, Hindu women do not have equal rights. They cannot inherit their father's property. If Hindu women are to enjoy freedom and equal rights, a Uniform Civil Code is necessary," she said.
Nasreen, who returned to Kolkata after nearly 19 years, was felicitated at a state government programme at Rabindra Sadan here on Saturday.
She had left Kolkata in 2007, when protests over the publication of her book 'Dwikhandito' (Split: A Life) forced the then Left Front government to move her out of the city.
The writer expressed anguish over the disruption during her felicitation ceremony in the city a day ago, saying she felt "insulted" after noted poet Joy Goswami was forced to leave the stage amid protests by a section of the audience.
"Not only was Joy insulted, but I was also insulted because I had invited him," Nasreen told reporters.
The controversy erupted when she invited Goswami onto the stage and requested him to address the gathering. However, loud objections from a section of the audience forced the celebrated poet to step down without speaking.
Recalling the incident, the writer said, "In my speech, I had spoken about freedom of expression. Everyone should be allowed to speak. It is not right to stop anyone from expressing their views."
Questioning the conduct of the protesters, she said, "Those who appreciated my speech were the ones who did not allow him to come on the stage. Didn't they also question me? It is contradictory. When someone speaks about freedom of expression, people support it, but when a poet is invited to speak, they do not want to hear him. That is not right."
Kolkata | Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Sunday drew a parallel between Delhi's CJP-led protest against exam irregularities and the 2024 stir that ousted Sheikh Hasina's Awami League regime and said the student movement in Dhaka "fooled us".
Speaking to reporters here, a day after an event Taslima attended here faced brief disruption owing to protests from a section of the audience, the acclaimed writer said she did not follow what was happening at Jantar Mantar, but a small video clip of the protest "reminded me of the July 2024 students' movement in Bangladesh".
"It was like that. That student movement in Bangladesh fooled us. Because we thought the students wanted to abolish the quota system. Sheikh Hasina had also agreed to their demands, but ultimately the government fell. Later, we found that jihadis (Islamic fundamentalists) were behind that movement. The fallout has not been good for Bangladesh. Jihadis have taken over power there," Nasreen said.
She said the developments in Bangladesh after the protests had reinforced her concerns about the consequences of such movements.
That Bangladesh protest of 2024 should serve as a lesson, the author said.
A massive student-led protest ousted Hasina’s Awami League regime on August 5, 2024. Since then, she has been living in exile in New Delhi as an Interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took charge three days later.
The country went through a phase of political uncertainty, while minority communities, including Hindus, have repeatedly raised concerns over their security. In February this year, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Tarique Rahman secured a sweeping victory in a landmark parliamentary election, leading to him becoming the prime minister.
Kolkata | Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Sunday opposed the ban on Bangladesh's Awami League, describing the decision as "a move against democracy" and asserting that political parties should not be outlawed.
Addressing a press conference here, Nasreen also expressed uncertainty over the return of Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to her country.
Hasina, 78, has been living in India after she fled Dhaka following the collapse of her government in August 2024 in the face of a massive anti-government agitation.
"No political party should be banned. The manner in which Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave the country is questionable. It was not right to ban the Awami League. It was a move against democracy. I want the ban to be lifted as soon as possible," the 63-year-old writer told reporters here.
The Awami League was banned by Bangladesh's then interim government in 2025 under an anti-terrorism legislation.
Nasreen alleged that several leaders and workers of the Awami League had been targeted after Hasina's departure from Bangladesh.
"Many Awami League workers were tortured and murdered. Sheikh Hasina wants to return, but I do not know whether that will be possible. But no one wants me to go back," Nasreen said.
In 1994, the writer left Bangladesh in the face of death threats from radical groups over her writings and her views on religion.
Nasreen was critical of Bangladesh's political situation, alleging that religious fundamentalist forces were gaining ground in the country.
"Now we have Jamaat-e-Islami as an opposition party. It is against women's equality, and they want Sharia rule. If that happens, no minority will survive. Bangladesh is moving towards darkness. No one is trying to civilise the country. The government is only trying to remain in power," Nasreen alleged.
The writer also claimed that anti-Hindu sentiments were being propagated in sections of Bangladesh's religious institutions.
"In many madrasas and mosques, hatred against Hindus is being taught," she said.
Nasreen, who returned to Kolkata after nearly 19 years, was felicitated at a state government programme at Rabindra Sadan here on Saturday.
She had left Kolkata in 2007, when protests over the publication of her book 'Dwikhandito' (Split: A Life) forced the then Left Front government to move her out of the city.