Lajja, the controversial novel by Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin, is a savage indictment of religious extremism and man’s inhumanity to man.
The Duttas—Sudhamoy, Kironmoyee, and their two children, Suranjan and Maya—have lived in Bangladesh all their lives. Despite being part of the country’s small Hindu community, that is terrorized at every opportunity by Muslim fundamentalists, they refuse to leave their country, as most of their friends and relatives have done. Sudhamoy, an atheist, believes with a naive mix of optimism and idealism that his motherland will not let him down.... And then, on 6 December 1992, the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in India is demolished by a mob of Hindu fundamentalists. The world condemns the incident, but its fallout is felt most acutely in Bangladesh, where Muslim mobs begin to seek out and attack the Hindus.... The nightmare inevitably arrives at the Duttas’ doorstep—and their world begins to fall apart....
Unremittingly dark and menacing, the novel exposes the mindless bloodthirstiness of fundamentalism and brilliantly captures the insanity of violence in our time.

Taslima Nasrin, eminent writer and secular humanist, is known for her powerful writings on women’s rights and unflinching criticism of religious fundamentalism, despite forced banishment and multiple fatwas calling for her death. She has been living in exile since 1994.