Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Taslima's visa extended by six months

Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has got yet another extension of her visa for six months with India indicating that her request for permanent residentship in the country would be taken up only by the new government after general elections.

The author was in India recently in connection with her visa extension. She was, however, told that she should pursue the issue from outside as it was not advisable for her to be in India due to security reasons. Sources in the home ministry said Taslima's visa was extended till August 16.

Though she had applied for resident permit, she was asked to take up the issue after polls. The author had left India after getting her visa extended as it was not advisable for her to stay here, they added. The 46-year-old author was packed off from her Kolkata residence and shifted to Jaipur in November 2007 when some Muslim organisations resorted to state-wide agitation in West Bengal demanding her deportation to Bangladesh.

She had to face protests over her controversial book Dwikhandito (Split in Two). Though the author later removed "objectionable" lines from the book, it failed to soothe the tempers of fundamentalists who even issued threats, forcing her to leave for Jaipur. Later, Rajasthan government too decided to shift her to Delhi after receiving certain inputs of threat to her life.

Currently, Taslima's Bangladeshi passport stands invalid. She holds a European Union passport issued by the Swedish government.

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