'Lift the bans': Taslima Nasreen speaks out after Khaleda Zia's death
After former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's passing, exiled author Taslima Nasreen is urging for the bans on her books to finally be lifted.
On X (formerly Twitter), she reflected, "With her death, will the bans on the books she had banned not be lifted? They should be lifted."
Why were Nasreen's books banned?
Back in the 1990s, Zia's government banned several of Nasreen's works—including 'Lajja'—and even issued an arrest warrant against her for allegedly "hurting religious sentiments."
This forced Nasreen to flee Bangladesh and seek asylum abroad. She hasn't been allowed to return since.
Zia's legacy and what's next
Khaleda Zia led Bangladesh as prime minister and was a major figure in national politics. Her party, now led by acting party chairman Tarique Rahman, remains influential ahead of upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, Nasreen continues to speak up for freedom of expression from exile.