'One Of The Longest Nights Of My Life': Taslima Nasreen Recalls The Night She Was Forced To Leave Kolkata

Last Updated:August 03, 2026, 09:50 IST

For nearly two decades, the events of 22 November 2007 have remained one of the most painful chapters in the life of exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen

For nearly two decades, the events of 22 November 2007 have remained one of the most painful chapters in the life of exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen. Even today, when she recounts that night to close friends, the trauma is unmistakable. Her voice may remain composed, but the anguish is still visible.

The events unfolded against the backdrop of violent protests in Kolkata. Large parts of the city witnessed unrest as groups protesting Taslima Nasreen’s presence took to the streets, creating a major law-and-order crisis. As the situation deteriorated, the then Left Front government decided that she had to leave West Bengal.

According to Taslima Nasreen’s account, the decision was implemented with remarkable speed. On the evening of 22 November, Kolkata Police officials arrived and informed her that arrangements had been made for her departure. She says she was given an airline ticket and escorted to the airport almost immediately. She has recalled that she was not even told where she was being taken.

It was only after boarding the aircraft, she says, that she realised the flight was headed to Jaipur.

The uncertainty did not end there.

She reached Jaipur late that night and was taken to a hotel where she was temporarily accommodated. The hotel, she has said, felt isolated and insecure. Journalists had already gathered outside, making it evident that her arrival had become known.

Around midnight, according to her recollection, the Commissioner of Police visited her room. She says she was informed that she could not remain there and would have to leave immediately.

Taslima Nasreen has said that she pleaded to be allowed to return to Kolkata. Instead, she was informed that she would be taken to Delhi. According to her account, police officials told her that the decision had been conveyed by the then Union External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, and that the West Bengal government would not permit her return to the state.

She has described what followed as one of the longest nights of her life.

Escorted by police, she travelled through the night by road from Jaipur to Delhi. With little clarity about what awaited her, she says she had no option but to comply.

On reaching the national capital, she was housed at Rajasthan House before being shifted to another secure location. The period that followed marked the beginning of another phase of uncertainty in her life in India.

Nineteen years later, the memories remain vivid.

While narrating the episode, Taslima Nasreen says the emotional scars have never healed. The journey, she believes, was not merely a physical relocation but an abrupt severing of her relationship with the city she considered her literary home.

During her recent visit to Kolkata after 19 years, one of the first places she chose to visit was her former residence on Rowdon Street. The visit carried deep personal significance. She has repeatedly described Kolkata as the city where she feels most at home because it is a place where she can speak Bengali freely and connect with readers in her own language.

She says she hopes to visit Kolkata more often in the future. However, she also believes that the circumstances are still not conducive for her permanent return.

On Bangladesh, her assessment is even more pessimistic. She has said she no longer believes she will ever be able to return to the country of her birth. In her view, the threat from religious extremists continues to make such a return impossible.

Yet, while she says she expected hostility from religious fundamentalists, what continues to hurt her most is something else.

According to Taslima Nasreen, the deepest disappointment came from the actions of the then Left Front government in West Bengal. She has said she never imagined that a government she regarded as progressive would remove her from Kolkata under such circumstances. In her view, the government capitulated to pressure from fundamentalist groups instead of standing by the principles of free expression.

Her return to Kolkata after 19 years was therefore far more than a personal visit. It was the revisiting of a city from which she believes she was compelled to leave against her wishes.

For Taslima Nasreen, the night of 22 November 2007 remains not just a political episode in Bengal’s history, but a deeply personal story of exile, uncertainty and loss—a journey that continues to shape her relationship with Kolkata, the city she still calls her own.

About the Author

Kamalika Sengupta

Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting...Read More

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