Bangladeshi-Swedish writer Taslima Nasrin on Friday criticized the Bangladesh government, alleging that its chief advisor, Muhammad Yunus, has aligned himself with "religious extremists and empowered forces of division" in the country.
Speaking on the topic of 'Book for Peace' at the 4th edition of the Kerala Legislative Assembly International Book Festival (KLIBF) here, Nasrin also claimed that Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was "promoting agendas that threaten secularism and safety of ordinary citizens."
She recalled past threats to her life, saying, "Certain religious fanatics and extremists" issued fatwas against her in connection with her books, yet the then Bangladesh government "took no action against them and instead issued an arrest warrant against me."
"Had the government taken action against the fanatics and jihadists then, this country (Bangladesh) would not have been so bad now. The government used religion for its own political interests and to stay in power as long as possible," she added.
Nasrin further accused the government of prioritizing religious schools over secular education and science institutions, claiming it was done "to get the support of the fanatics to stay in power for longer time."
Blaming the interim government for the current crisis in Bangladesh, she said, "The fundamentalists are kind of in power and Dr Yunus is supporting them. So, I do not know how we will get back this secular country again for which it fought against Pakistan in 1971."
She concluded with a warning about ongoing persecution, stating, "Now, the nation is divided and the Muslim extremists are killing and persecuting the religious minority communities and it must be stopped."