Islamic radicals want to make B'desh another Afghanistan: Activist Nasreen

Expressing concern that Bangladesh might go the Afghanistan way, writer-activist Taslima Nasreen has said that Islamic radicals are brainwashing and indoctrinating youths to make them "anti-India, anti-Hindu and pro-Pakistan".

Nasreen said she and others had initially supported the students' movement in Bangladesh against an "autocratic government".

However, the recent actions like violence against Hindus, targeting of journalists and the release of "terrorists" from jails showed it was not a students' movement but was "planned and funded by Islamic jihadis", she said.

"When students protested against the quota system in July, we supported them... people who believe in women's rights, human rights and freedom of expression.

"Sheikh Hasina was an autocrat who always encouraged fundamentalists and curbed freedom of expression. People were angry with her, she told PTI in an exclusive interview.

She said they had hoped that a fair election would be conducted to democratically form a n