‘Madrasas shouldn’t exist, they produce jihadists’: Taslima Nasreen wants Bangladesh to be secular nation

Exiled Bangladeshi writer and activist Taslima Nasreen, who returned to Kolkata after nearly two decades, has criticised the growing religious fundamentalism in Bangladesh and the role of madrasas in it while making strong remarks on the country’s political and social situation.

She also called for Bangladesh to become a secular nation with a Uniform Civil Code, revoking the ban on the Awami League and the return of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to her nation.

Speaking to media on Sunday, Taslima said, “The madrasas in Bangladesh should not exist. In many cases, madrasas have been found to be producing jihadists. Imams and madrasa teachers have been arrested and sent to jail. I do not believe there is any need for madrasas. Many graduates do not go on to do productive work; they survive on donations.”

She also claimed that hatred towards non-Muslims is taught in many madrasas, and Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians face persecution in Bangladesh.

Also Read: ‘Pakistan eroded India's faith bit by bit’: Indian envoy defends putting Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance

‘Bangladesh should become a secular country’

She also called for Bangladesh to become a secular country.

Some mosques have become centres of jihadist activity, and the government should exercise oversight and control over them, she added.

“If a country wants to be truly secular, religion must be separated from the state. These are the kinds of measures that help a society progress,” she said.

“What is needed most is education. Everyone has the right to live. Instead of building more temples and madrasas, there should be greater emphasis on education," she said.

‘No decline in the influence of fundamentalist groups in Bangladesh’

Nasreen said she did not see any decline in the influence of fundamentalist groups in Bangladesh.

“I do not see any signs of it declining. On the contrary, it is increasing. Jamaat-e-Islami will now have a presence in Parliament. It would have been better if the Awami League had remained the principal opposition party,” she said.

She also said there was no difference between the Tarique Rahman era and the Yunus era in Bangladesh.

Nasrin further said that the Bangladesh government does not take action against people who torture Hindus.

On the arrest of former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh, she said he paid the price for helping Hindus who were in trouble. “Many like us are speaking up for Chinmoy. Free thinkers are continuously being targeted. Many of us had no choice but to leave the country.”

‘Women should not be governed by religion-based personal laws’

Nasreen said she has been campaigning for a Uniform Civil Code for the past 40 years. “I have been fighting for a Uniform Civil Code for the last 40 years. This subcontinent needs a Uniform Civil Code. In particular, women should not be governed by religion-based personal laws,” she said.

Also Read: Mountaineer Nirmal Purja’s body recovered from Broad Peak three days after avalanche

The author said daughters in Bangladesh do not have equal inheritance rights in their father’s property. She also claimed that many Hindu men enter into multiple marriages and that women cannot obtain a divorce.

According to her, Hindu women in Bangladesh need a Uniform Civil Code to secure their rights because religion-based personal laws continue to discriminate against women.

She also said, “Any religion that turns women into sexual slaves is something they should leave behind.”

Taslima Nasreen expressed hope that relations between India and Bangladesh would improve, saying India had made a huge contribution to Bangladesh’s independence.

‘Sheikh Hasina should return to lead her party and fight elections’

She also called for the return of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina to her country to lead her party and fight elections.

“The ouster of Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina in the way it happened was wrong. It was anti-democratic. Banning the party was absolutely undemocratic. They should be allowed to participate in elections. I want Hasina to return to Bangladesh,” she told reporters in Kolkata.

She thanked West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for inviting her back to Kolkata after 19 years.

“The newly elected government has assured security in Bengal during my stay. I would like to thank the chief minister for that,” she said.