By Ajoy Roy

Writer-poet-humanist Taslima Nasrin once again on the news in BD presses. A magisterial court at Goplagang Sadar Zila town pronounced a verdict giving one-year non-rigorous imprisonment to Taslima Nasrin. She was found guilty of a case insulting Islam and hurting the feelings of its followers through her writings in newspapers columns and novels including ‘Ma’ and ‘Lajja’.

In 1999, one Dabiruddin Azad of Goplagang lodged a case in Goplagang Magistrate Court against Ms Taslima Nasrin alleging that her novels and columns in news papers insinuating religion of Islam has hurt the feelings of millions of Muslims in Bangladesh and outside. After preliminary hearing the case was accepted by the court. But since then it was shelved. In 2001, a few months before general election during the fag end of AL government, the case was revived again- a report was published in ‘Sangbad’ that almost 80% of hearing was complete. But to my utter surprise I noted that Taslima had no defence council to defend her. She was being tried in absentia.

I immediately traced out the case- and found it was filed by a person individually as per 298 Act. It was not a government case. I got in touch with Ain-o-Salis Kendra who assured me that they would take up the matter and do the needful. A few weeks later Dr. Hamida Hosain of ASK informed me that an advocate has been engaged to look after the case of Taslima providing necessary defense. I felt assured. Nothing was heard since then. I thought that the case might have been dropped or shelved in a cold storage.

But alas, court was not that forgetful as I thought. The case was again opened and after three years, the Gopalganj Magistrate court pronounced the verdict of the case on all a sudden on Saturday, September 12, 2002. In his 31-page verdict, the magistrate found Ms Nasrin guilty of offending the sentiments of Muslims through her writings. As she is absconding the punishment would take effect from the very day she would be arrested by the BD police. Advocate Nahaj Pasha conducted the case on behalf of the plaintiff, on the other hand defendant had no councilor, even government did not provide any one. This surprised me because I was assured by ASK that a proper defense mechanism would be provided to Taslima when the case is reopened. Alas poor Taslima- even her well wishers are so forgetful !

Since she published her novel ‘Lajja’ (Shame) based on communal riots in some parts of Bangladesh, particularly in southern districts including Bhola and Barisal that took place in 1992 following the destruction of Babri Masjid in UP by a group of Hindu fundamentalists, she has been forced out to live abroad in order to avoid wraths of the Islamists fundamentalists.  Bhola was worst affected district. But the then government of BNP led by our great lady Madam Khaleda did not take any note of it, on the other hand she expressed thousands of Sukria to her countrymen that Muslims of Bangladesh did not take any revenge against the Hindus in BD. This very attitude of government enraged Taslima to write ‘Lajja’ for which she paid a price so high that she has to live abroad on the charity of some western benevolent friends and well wishers of her.

                              Ms Taslima Nasrin humanist writer-poet from BD

On the other we her countrymen could offer only distress and antipathy. Even we could not make her life safe for her against a handful of vocal terrorists in the name of Islam. This lajja of ours has no limit.