Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin returns to Kolkata after 19 years

The exiled Bangladeshi writer and activist Taslima Nasrin arrived in Kolkata on Friday. This marked her first public visit to the city in nearly two decades after she was forced to leave amid protests related to her memoirs, 'Dwikhantito.'

Return to Hometown

Nasrin described her return as an emotional homecoming, stating that arriving in Kolkata feels like returning to 'my own country.' According to news agency PTI, she has scheduled participation in an event in the city for August 1.

Expected Guests and Past

Chief Minister of West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari and renowned author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay are also expected to attend the event. This is Nasrin's first public appearance in Kolkata since 2007. At that time, mass protests over her memoirs forced her to leave the city, which had been her home after fleeing Bangladesh in the 1990s.

Reason for Book Ban

Her memoirs, 'Dwikhantito' (Divided into two parts), were banned by the then Left Front government in West Bengal in 2003 due to alleged offense to the religious sentiments of the Muslim community.

uzdaily.uzJuly 27, 16:59

Uzbek Citizen 'Jora Tashkent' Detained in Egypt and Brought to Uzbekistan

According to video material published by law enforcement agencies, an Uzbek citizen known in criminal circles as 'Jora Tashkent' was detained in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and subsequently transported to Uzbekistan for judicial proceedings.

Circumstances of the Detention

According to information from the video, the man is a Russian citizen and has been residing in Dubai in recent years. Upon detention, a fake Russian passport was discovered on him, which, according to authorities, he used to travel between various countries over many years.

Charges and Crimes

After his detention, the man was charged with a number of crimes, including robbery, extortion, as well as illegal possession of weapons and narcotics. Law enforcement agencies reported that in 2021, Jora Tashkent, along with other individuals, seized two residential properties in Tashkent worth a total of $350,000.

Method of Committing Crimes

During the investigation, it was revealed that he employed extortion methods to intimidate the property owner, beat him, and subject his family members to violence in order to seize these properties. Subsequently, the real estate was registered under his accomplices.

Judicial Proceedings

A criminal case has been initiated against the man under Article 165, Part 3, Clause 'a' of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, and he has been included in the list of wanted persons. Thanks to the cooperation of Uzbek law enforcement agencies and international interaction through Interpol channels, the wanted individual was detained in Egypt and brought to Uzbekistan to answer before the court.