| pseudonymimage = SushmitaBanerjeePic.jpg

| birth_nameimage_size =

| birth_datealt = circa. 1964 =

| languagedeath_date = 4/5 September 2013 (aged 50)

| citizenshipspouse = Janbaz Khan

'''Sushmita Banerjee''', also known as '''Sushmita Bandhopadhyay''' and '''Sayeda Kamala'''<ref name="toi deathnews">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-author-Sushmita-Banerjee-executed-in-Afghanistan-by-Taliban/articleshow/22349517.cms|title=Indian author Sushmita Banerjee executed in Afghanistan by Taliban |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=5 September 2013|accessdate=5 September 2013}}</ref> (born circa. 1963/1964 - September– 4/5 September 2013), was an Indiana writer and activist from India. SheHer wroteworks include the memoir ''Kabuliwalar Bangali Bou'' ("''A Kabuliwala's Bengali Wife",''; 1997)<ref name="rediff intv"/> based on her experience of marrying an [[Afghan people|Afghan]], and stayingher time in Afghanistan during [[Taliban]] rule. ThisThe story was used as the basis for the [[Bollywood]] film ''[[Escape from Taliban]]''. AtShe thewas agemurdered ofat 49,age she was killed50 by suspected [[Taliban]] militantsjihadists onduring the evening of the4 4thSeptember or in the early morning 5th,hours of 5 September 2013, outside her home in [[Paktika province]]Province|Paktika Province, Afghanistan]].<ref name="cnn deathnews">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/05/world/asia/afghanistan-indian-author-killed/index.html?hpt=hp_t2|title=Afghan militants target, kill female author, police say| last1= Narayan|first1=Chandrika|last2= Popalzai| first2=Masoud| publisher=[[CNN]]| date=5 September 2013| accessdate=5 September 2013}}</ref>

Sushmita Banerjee was born in [[Kolkata|Calcutta]] (nowpresent-day [[Kolkata), [[West BengalIndia]]) to a middle-class Bengali family. Her father worked in the civil defencedefense department and her mother, was a homemaker. She was the only sister to her three brothers. She first met her future husband Janbaz Khan, an Afghan businessman, at a theatre rehearsal in Calcutta.<ref>{{citeCite webnews |title= Indian diarist Sushmita Banerjee 'had no fear'|journal=BBC News|url= httphttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23984518 |publisher= ''BBC News'' |date= 6 September 2013 |accessdate= 7 September 2013|last1=Biswas|first1=Soutik}}</ref> Sheand married him on 2 July 1988.<ref name="rediff intv">{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/interview/exclusive-just-who-is-susmita-banerjee/20130905.htm |title=Exclusive: Knowing Sushmita Banerjee | date=5 September 2013|accessdate=5 September 2013| publisherwork=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref> The marriage took place secretly in Kolkata, as she feared her parents would object to the inter-religious marriage. When her parents tried to get them divorced, she fled to Afghanistan with Khan.<ref name="rediff intv"/> She then discovered that her husband already had a first wife, Gulguti. In her book, whenGulguti sheis founddescribed themas inone bedof togetherher brother-in-law's wives.<ref name="toi deathnewsdeathnews2">{{cite news|date=5 September 2013|title=Indian author Sushmita Banerjee executed in Afghanistan by Taliban|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-author-Sushmita-Banerjee-executed-in-Afghanistan-by-Taliban/articleshow/22349517.cms|accessdate=5 September 2013}}</ref> Although shocked, she continued to live in Khan's ancestral house in Patiya village, with her three brothers-in-law, their wives, and with Gulguti and Gulguti's children.<ref name="redifftoi intvdeathnews"/><ref name="toirediff deathnewsintv"/> Later,Khan Khanlater returned to Kolkata to continue his business, but Banerjee could not return.<ref name="rediff intv"/> Sayeda, a trained nurse in [[gynaecology]], opened a clinic to help the women of the village.

WithBanerjee themade burgeoningtwo Talibanabortive powerattempts into flee Afghanistan,. BanerjeeShe witnessedwas fundamentalistcaught changesand occurringheld inunder thehouse countryarrest.<ref name="rediffA intv"/>[[fatwa]] Inwas aissued 2003against interview,her and she saidwas thatscheduled theto plightdie ofon women22 inJuly particular got worse1995.<ref Womenname="rediff wereintv" banned/> fromWith talkingthe withhelp menof otherthe thanvillage family membersheadman, they were not allowed outside home. Schools, colleges, and hospitals wereshe shutfinally downfled.<ref name="rediff intv" /> TalibanShe menreached discoveredKabul, herand clinictook anda beatflight herback to Kolkata severelyon in12 MayAugust 1995.<ref name="rediff intv" />

==External Linkslinks==

* [http://wwwnews.timesofbookbiharprabha.com/2013/09/indianthe-authorbiography-of-slain-writer-sushmita-banerjee.html Biography Indian authorof Sushmita Banerjee ], 2013, news.biharprabha.com

[[Category:PeopleWriters from Kolkata]]

[[Category:Indian women writersactivists]]