NEW DELHI: Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen on Thursday said the space for secular thought, religious criticism and intellectual debate in Bangladesh had “shrunk dangerously” as she prepared for her first public appearance in Kolkata in nearly 19 years, describing her return to the city as “coming back to my own country.“Nasreen, who will attend a programme in Kolkata on August 1, said the visit symbolised not only a personal homecoming but also the resilience of free expression in the face of attempts to silence dissent. The event is expected to be attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and noted author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay.This will be Nasreen’s first public appearance in Kolkata since 2007, when protests over her memoir Dwikhandito forced her to leave the city. The book had been banned by the West Bengal government in 2003 for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community.Reflecting on her return, Nasreen said Kolkata had always remained home despite her years in exile.“I feel as though I am returning to my own country. Bengal has never been divided in my heart by a border or a barbed-wire fence. The door to the eastern part of Bengal remains closed to me, so for now, this part of Bengal is my home,” she said.“I am returning with joy, but also with pain. Kolkata was not merely a city where I lived; it was where I had a home, friends, readers and a sense of belonging. Nearly nineteen years were taken from me, and no homecoming can return those lost years. I am not returning as a stranger or a guest. I am returning as someone who has always considered herself part of Bengal,” she added.The writer said she had never left Kolkata voluntarily and continued to hope for her return over the years.“I never left Kolkata willingly; the then West Bengal government forced me to leave the state. Yet I never stopped hoping that one day I would return. Year after year passed, governments changed, and still the door remained closed.”Calling her return a victory for freedom of expression, Nasreen said, “So, to return nearly 19 years later and speak publicly in the heart of Kolkata feels almost unreal. To me, it represents the return of a voice that fundamentalists once tried to silence. My presence on that stage will affirm that threats and fatwas may exile a writer for a time, but they cannot erase her ideas.”She thanked the organisers and the West Bengal government for facilitating the visit and providing security.“I certainly see my return as an encouraging sign. I am grateful to the organisers who made it possible and to the government for providing security. I deeply appreciate CM Adhikari’s willingness to respect and protect the freedom of a dissenting writer, even when he may not agree with everything she says.”Nasreen stressed that freedom of expression should be protected as a fundamental right.“A writer’s freedom and safety should not depend on the generosity of a government, the ideology of a political party or the permission of a religious group. They must be protected as fundamental rights,” she said.Expressing gratitude to India for offering her refuge, she said, “Although I am not a citizen of India, I am deeply moved by the generosity of a country that has given refuge to a persecuted writer like me. I am sincerely grateful to the present West Bengal government for the support and protection it has extended to me.”Speaking about the situation in Bangladesh, Nasreen said technological advances had given writers new platforms but had also enabled organised harassment.“Technology has given writers more ways to speak, but it has also given organised groups more ways to threaten, harass and silence them. In Bangladesh, the space for secular thought, religious criticism and honest intellectual debate has shrunk dangerously. Freethinkers have been killed, imprisoned, driven into hiding or forced into exile. Fear has become a form of censorship,” the writer pointed out.She said religious fundamentalism had gained greater political influence across South Asia while women continued to face restrictions in the name of religion, culture and tradition.“The challenges have undoubtedly become more complex. Religious fundamentalism has acquired new political power and sophisticated methods of propaganda. Women are still controlled in the name of religion, culture, family honour and tradition. At the same time, those who oppose fundamentalism are often falsely accused of opposing an entire community,” she said.Despite the challenges, Nasreen said she remained optimistic because younger generations continued to question inherited beliefs and resist inequality.“I have not lost hope. More young people, especially women, are questioning inherited beliefs and refusing to accept inequality as destiny. Social progress has never followed a straight line; every advance produces resistance. I am not optimistic because I believe progress is inevitable. I am optimistic because people continue to fight for it. Silence guarantees defeat; resistance keeps change possible,” she said.