Taslima Nasreen’s appeal to Amit Shah for residence permit: India my second home

Bangladeshi author and activist Taslima Nasreen has reached out to Union Home Minister Amit Shah via social media platform X, expressing her distress over the non-renewal of her Indian residence permit, which expired in July. Taslima Nasreen called India her “second home” and said she would be grateful if the government would “let her stay” in the country.
Nasreen tweeted, “Dear Amit Shah ji, Namaskar. I live in India because I love this great country. It has been my second home for the last 20 years. But MHA has not been extending my residence permit since July 22. I’m so worried. I would be so grateful to you if you let me stay.”
Nasreen, who has lived in India since 2011 and holds Swedish citizenship, has previously voiced her concerns about the lack of communication from government officials regarding the status of her residence permit. In a conversation with India Today’s sister channel AajTak Bangla in September, she revealed that despite regularly checking her application status online, it remains “updating,” a situation she described as unprecedented.
“I like living in India, but it’s been about a month and a half, and my residence permit hasn’t been renewed yet,” Nasreen had said. She emphasised that her current residency issues are unrelated to the political turmoil in Bangladesh, stating, “I have nothing to do with Bangladesh and its politics. I live here as a Swedish citizen.”
Following a fatwa issued against her in Bangladesh in 1994 due to her writings, Nasreen has endured a tumultuous journey marked by expulsions and relocations within India. She previously lived in Kolkata and Jaipur before settling in Delhi, where she resided under a long-term residence permit.
Nasreen’s appeal to Amit Shah comes as her home country continues to grapple with an intense power struggle months since the unceremonious ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus is trying to tackle what he has called the “extremely tough” challenge of restoring democratic institutions.