Taslima's visa extended, she plans to leave India again

New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) India Thursday extended the visa
of controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin for six
months till February 16 next year as she plans to move out of
the country because of security concerns.

The Bangladeshi writer, who arrived here on Augsut six
from Europe, had approached the government for a permanent
residential permit.

However, the government, after consultations with
various security agencies, decided to extend her visa till
February 16, 2010, official sources said.

The 46-year-old writer, who has been kept at a safe
location on her arrival here, is understood to have conveyed
that she would like to leave the country if the security
restrictions continued, the sources said.

The doctor-turned writer, who will turn 47 on August 25,
had earlier expressed her desire to visit Kolkata, which has
been turned down saying the radical elements may try and harm
her, the sources said.

Taslima, who shot into fame with her controversial book
"Lajja" in 1993, has been a target of Islamic fundamentalists.

Taslima had earlier left India on March 18 last year for
Sweden after she was kept at an undisclosed house here for
more than four months. Taslima, who had not been allowed to
see any visitors during the period, had described her
confinement as living in "a chamber of death".

Taslima had come back to India in February this year but
was asked to leave because of impending general elections in
the country and visa was granted to her till August 17.

Earlier, she was dramatically bundled out from West
Bengal in November 2007 in the wake of violent protests by
radical Muslim groups there.

Taslima has lived in exile in many countries including
France, Sweden, the US and India since leaving her home
in Dhaka in a cloak of secrecy in 1994. During her stay in
India in the last five years, she has periodically travelled
abroad with the last trip being in November 2007 when she was
asked to leave West Bengal.

Recipient of various awards, Taslima was shifted from
her Kolkata residence after violent protests marred parts of
the metropolis over her controversial book "Dwihondito"
(divided into two).

Certain references in the book had stirred a storm
with some Muslim organisations demanding that she be asked to
leave the state.

Taslima was packed off from Kolkata and shifted to
Jaipur. The Rajasthan government decided to shift her to Delhi
after some Muslim organisations threatened state-wide protests
against her stay there.

Despite the writer's wish to return to Kolkata, the
Left Front government in West Bengal disfavoured her return
there.

A Swedish passport holder, Taslima flew to Sweden from
Delhi on March 18 last year and was admitted to hospital
following health problems. PTI SKL
DDC
NNNN




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