Fundamentalism, genocide and communalism make up the story of Lajja, written by Taslima Nasrin. The book delves into the complex religious structure of Bangladesh in the 20th century. The situation involved a majority of Muslims against a minority of Hindus.

The Dutta's, who lived in Bangladesh for as long as they could remember, were thrown into the country-wide riots that followed the demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in India, on 6 December 1992.

When Nilanjana Dutta or Maya, seeks out her brother, Suranjan, to take action against the surfacing angst of the Muslim Fundamentalists, his mind refuses to accept that notion. He becomes rebellious and is unable to understand the reason behind the animosity against Hindus or his family. After hiding out once during the unrest of October 1991, Suranjan cannot bring himself to seek out the help of his friends yet again.

Sudhamoy Dutta, their father, unswervingly loves his country. To uproot his family based on hostility against religion is unacceptable to him. But once the contempt is unmasked, his family is endangered and he is forced to rethink his decisions. Lajja, written in a mere seven days, is a fictitious account of true pain, horror and the sufferings of the Bangladeshi Hindu community.

The 12th edition of Lajja was published by Penguin India in 2000. It is available in paperback format.

Key Features

Lajja was written in seven days following the Babri Masjid incident.
A fatwa was issued against Taslima Nasrin and the book was eventually banned after its publication.