Kolkata, Sept. 13 -- Bangladesh author in exile Taslima Nasrin has come out in support of jailed Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das after his ailing mother died without being allowed to see her son, calling the episode a "cruel state satire" and drawing a deeply personal parallel with her own experience. Taslima told Millennium Post that such a cruel act could have been avoided by the Bangladesh government.

Chinmoy's mother, Sandhya Rani Dhar, 70, died on Thursday after a prolonged illness. His family had sought parole while she was still alive so that she could see her son for one last time. The request was not granted. After her death, however, Bangladesh authorities allowed Chinmoy five hours of parole to attend her funeral.

For Taslima, the episode echoes a painful chapter in her own life. Recalling her father's final days, Dr Rajab Ali, she said her father had wanted to see her before his death in February 2003.

"I had sought permission from the then Bangladesh government to travel home for two days, but I was denied the opportunity," she posted on social media. "I understand Chinmoy Krishna Das' pain," Taslima wrote, recalling that she never got to see her father or his face for the last time.

Drawing the parallel, she wrote on Facebook that a dying father once wanted to see his daughter, while today a dying mother wanted to see her son - but "power said no to both of them".

Taslima's intervention turns the Chinmoy episode from a question of parole procedure into a broader debate over the limits of state power and the place of compassion in governance.

The contrast has particularly sharpened criticism: the authorities ultimately permitted Chinmoy to leave prison after his mother's death to perform her last rites, but not, according to his family, when she was alive and wanted to see him.

"Can cruelty also be inherited?" Nasrin asked, as she said that during her time, Khaleda did not allow her to enter Bangladesh to see her father, while now Khaleda's son, Tarek Zia, the Prime Minister, did not allow Chinmoy to step out of prison to see his ailing mother on her deathbed, but allowed him to join the last rites.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.