Bangladesh Chief Adviser Yunus Aligned With Religious Extremists: Taslima Nasrin

Thiruvananthapuram: Bangladeshi-Swedish writer Taslima Nasrin on Friday strongly criticised the Bangladesh government, alleging that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has aligned himself with religious extremists and strengthened forces that are dividing the country.

Speaking on the topic “Books for Peace” at the fourth edition of the Kerala Legislative Assembly International Book Festival, Nasrin said Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was backing agendas that undermine secular values and threaten the safety of ordinary citizens in Bangladesh.

Recalling the threats she faced over her writings, Nasrin said religious extremists had issued fatwas calling for her death, but the then Bangladesh government took no action against them. Instead, she said, an arrest warrant was issued against her. “Had action been taken against the fanatics and jihadists at that time, Bangladesh would not have reached this situation,” she said, accusing successive governments of using religion to retain political power.

Nasrin alleged that the government promoted religious schools to secure the support of extremists, rather than strengthening secular education and scientific institutions, a shift she said had steadily weakened the country’s secular foundations.

Blaming the interim government for the present crisis, she said religious fundamentalists now wield significant influence in Bangladesh and that Yunus was supporting them. “I do not know how we can reclaim the secular Bangladesh that emerged from the struggle against Pakistan in 1971,” she said.

Expanding on the broader theme of peace, Taslima Nasrin said silence in the face of injustice and acceptance of oppression cannot be called peace, describing it as equivalent to living in a prison. True freedom, she said, belongs only to societies that question authority and injustice.

She said the word “peace” is often misused and reduced to mere silence or calm, which in reality is frequently born out of fear. Books that urge the oppressed to adjust to injustice and violence do not promote peace but instead betray its true meaning, she said.

Nasrin also said religious fundamentalism remains the biggest threat to peace across the world, calling it barbarism disguised as holiness. She noted that those who brand opposition to irrational ideas as sin are often afraid of books and critical thought. She said she has lived in exile for more than three decades simply for asking questions, and while she may have lost her home, she has not lost her voice.

Warning that Bangladesh is becoming increasingly divided, Nasrin alleged that religious minorities are being targeted. “Muslim extremists are killing and persecuting minority communities. This must be stopped,” she said.