Gothenburg welcomes journalist, writer, and human rights activist Pranto Palash as its 11th ICORN resident
Pranto Palash is a journalist, writer, and human rights activist from Bangladesh. At the end of January 2025, Palash arrived in Sweden to begin his two-year ICORN residency in Gothenburg. He continues his work and plans to participate in cultural events and take further education in human rights and social work. Palash is Gothenburg's 11th ICORN resident.
To date, Palash has published five books of poetry: Sadhukhalir Raat (2012); Jarayur Kanna (2015); Amar Kiram Jani Lage (2017); Cheers, Camellia (2018); and Gandharir Shok (2018).
As a journalist, Palash has worked for multiple newspapers and online publications, including the Daily Jaijaidin, Banglamail24.com, NTV Online and the magazine ‘Gonoraai’ as a reporter and editor. His work has extensively covered topics such as religious fundamentalism, social discrimination, internal armed conflicts, and women’s rights.
In March 2017, due to harassment and persecution,including a legal case against him because of his work, Palash moved to Delhi, India, but returned to Bangladesh a year later for his court hearing. He began working as a journalist again and continued facing sustained threats and harassment.
As well as for his journalistic and literary work, Palash was targeted by members of political parties and Islamist pressure groups, for his activism and his identity as a self-proclaimed atheist part of the Hindu minority in Bangladesh. Palash was the target of judicial harassment for years.
Gothenburg ICORN City of Refuge
Since 1996, Gothenburg has hosted writers, artists, journalists, and cultural workers at risk, making it Sweden’s first City of Refuge. The ICORN programme in Gothenburg is run in collaboration between the City of Gothenburg’s cultural and social administrations.
As well as Palash, Gothenburg has hosted ten other writers, artists, and journalists in ICORN residence, including Nobel Laureate in Literature (2015) Svetlana Alexievich, Palestinian hip-hop artist Khaled Harara, and Bangladeshi writer, journalist, and voice actor Saiful Baten Tito.
