CONTROVERSIAL AUTHOR TASLIMA NASRIN UNDER FIRE FOR MADRASA JIHADI REMARK

Tue 04 August 2026:

Author and activist Taslima Nasrin sparked controversy on Sunday with sharp remarks on madrasas and religion while speaking to journalists at the Bangla Academy in Kolkata.

She alleged that some madrasas function as “factories for producing jihadis,” claiming incidents of child abuse and rape occur within them. Nasrin argued that such institutions should not exist in their present form. She noted that most madrasas operate without proper government oversight and that children are taught from a young age to harbour hatred toward non-Muslims. Political parties, she said, often refrain from strict action against these institutions due to electoral considerations involving religious groups, which she claimed helps extremism flourish.

Nasrin demanded that all madrasas be brought under government regulation and that the education system undergo significant reform. Many madrasa graduates, she observed, lack the skills needed for productive careers; she therefore suggested converting these institutions into secular schools. She also questioned the need for a large number of mosques and other religious buildings, arguing that the government should regulate them as well.

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Responding to questions about her long-standing criticism of religion, Nasrin said she opposes any religious practices that discriminate against women. She maintained that such criticism is essential for social reform and recalled that her outspoken views had forced her into exile from Bangladesh.

On the recent student protests in Delhi, she said the images reminded her of the 2024 student movement in Bangladesh, which she claimed was later influenced by extremist elements. She cautioned that student movements do not always yield positive results.

Nasrin reiterated her support for a Uniform Civil Code across India, advocating “one nation, one law” so that equal civil laws apply to all citizens irrespective of religion.

Taslima Nasrin does not follow any religion and identifies as an atheist and a secular humanist. She was born into a Muslim family in Bangladesh, but she rejects all forms of religion, religious fanaticism, and dogmatism.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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