Religious Fundamentalists In Bangladesh Have Always Argued

I Was Born In A Middle Class Muslim Family, In A Small Town Called Myonenningh In A Northern Part Of Bangladesh In 1962. My Father Is A Qualified Physician; My Mother Is A Housewife. I Have Two Elder Brothers And One Younger Sister. All Of Them Received A Liberal Education In Schools And Colleges.

Every Religion Oppresses Women. I Talk About The Koran Because I Know This Book Best. It Allows For Torture And Other Mistreatment, Especially For Women. And I Despise The Sharia Laws. They Cannot Be Changed. They Must Be Thrown Out, Abolished.

If Any Religion Allows The Persecution Of The People Of Different Faiths, If Any Religion Keeps Women In Slavery, If Any Religion Keeps People In Ignorance, Then I Can't Accept That Religion.

Among All The 'awards' That I Have Hitherto Collected, I Consider The Title Of 'patita' Or 'fallen Woman' To Be The Highest. This Is An Achievement Of My Long-struggling Life As A Writer And As A Woman.

I Believe In Absolute Freedom Of Expression. Everyone Has A Right To Offend And Be Offended.