‘Jihad-Producing Factories’: Taslima Nasreen Speaks On Mosques, Madrasas In Bangladesh; Demands UCC

Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has called for the abolition of madrasas, alleging that some of them produce extremists. Speaking in Kolkata during her first visit to the city in nearly 19 years, she said secular schools should replace religious institutions and also alleged that some mosques had become centres of radicalisation. Nasreen argued that reforming the education system was necessary and claimed punishment alone would not address the issue. However, she did not provide specific evidence to support her allegations during the press conference. Calling her return to Kolkata an emotional homecoming, Nasreen said Bengal had never been divided in her heart and described the city as her home while remaining unable to return to Bangladesh.