Taslima Nasrin Insulted by Audience Protest to Her Poet-Friend

Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin expressed her anguish on Sunday, stating that she felt "insulted" by a strong protest from a section of the audience that had forced her friend and eminent Bengali poet Joy Goswami to leave the dais of her civic reception “insulted” on Saturday, following her return to the city after a gap of almost two decades.

Referring to the untoward incident at Rabindra Sadan, Ms Nasrin told the media at Bangla Academy, “I felt bad because it was not only Joy who was insulted but I was insulted also since I had invited him.



Moreover, I spoke about freedom of speech in my address. That means all should be allowed to speak, though we can have a difference of opinion.”

She said, “No one should be shut up from speaking out. Were those the same people in the audience who liked my speech but didn't allow Joy to take the dais? If that's the case, things turned out to be different. 

When someone speaks in favour of free speech, she is supported by you but you don't want to listen to a poet invited by her to speak on the very free speech. So I definitely felt bad.”