Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman may have been a leader of a small South Asian country, hailing from a modest family of a small village, but his name is synonymous with the history of making and shaping of a nation. Bangabandhu is a folklore that is told and reminisced by the people of the land. Unfortunately, he was assassinated by individuals who disagreed with the way Bangabandhu was shaping our nation. In the aftermath of the assassination, the very name Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became a taboo and was slandered in every possible manner. From 1975 to 2008 (except a small stint of five years), the opposition party came to prominence and made sure no one spoke of Bangabandhu. Not only were we discouraged from speaking his name, we were also discouraged from publishing books about him. This resulted in confusion and a mist of uncertainty among the younger generation. Thankfully, in 2008, the people of Bangladesh for whom Bangabandhu laid down his life rose as one and voted for his ideals, and brought his party to power. Now, we have the environment to talk about and learn about the saga that was Bangabndhu. Various authors have dedicated their time and effort to ensure that the tale of the father of our nation does not remain untold.
PITA TUMI BANGLADESH (FATHER YOU ARE BANGLADESH)
Bangladesh Police published this collection of rare photographs of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It pays homage to Bangabandhu in its name, addressing him as the father of the nation. Pita Tumi Bangladesh recorded some rare photographs dating back to Bangabandhu’s Kolkata (then Calcutta) days, which attest to his political endeavours as a young student leader of East Bengal. It carried on and documented him becoming the one leader of Bengal from a young student leader from East Bengal documenting his life, associations, travels, family, etc. It has never seen before photos of Bangabandhu visiting various foreign lands such as China and the US in different capacities. A 320-page marvel of historical photographs, this collection is a must have for anyone who takes an interest in Bangabandhu.
THE UNFINISHED MEMOIRS
Bangabandhu started writing his own memoir when he was incarcerated between 1966 and 1969 but he could not finish it. These scripts were not discovered until 2004. Then, it was published as The Unfinished Memoirs. This sheds a light on the history of the Indian subcontinent from the British colonial days up to the build-up of the movement of liberation of Bangladesh from his own point of view. This makes a very interesting read because this narrative of the build-up of a liberated sovereign state was absent till 2004 and a lot of other narratives were well established by then. One confession this memoir makes in its name is it is indeed ‘incomplete’. Despite that fact, this book carries interesting details regarding Bangabandhu’s life in British India and how he, along with his compatriots, rallied for Pakistan and how he later realised that Pakistan was not the solution for his beloved countrymen and the necessity for Bangladesh to become a sovereign state. This 323-page book was first published in 2012 by University Press Limited. Professor Fakrul Alam carefully translated this book into English and the English version is published by Vikings in India and Oxford University Press in Pakistan.
SHEIKH MUJIB: TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY
Writing an objective biography of Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the only larger-than-life political figure of Muslim Bengal, is no easy task for a historian. In this well-researched book, separating the man from the myth, Sayyid A Karim has drawn a moving portrait of a heroic man and has given a fascinating account of the life of Bangabandhu and how he triumphed against all odds and became the founding father of a new nation, Bangladesh. Karim made an apt assessment of Bangabandhu’s legacy in this piece. Published by the University Press Limited, this 424-page book is an engaging read.
MUJIB: GRAPHIC NOVEL
Aimed at a younger audience who responds to pictures more than text, Mujib is a graphic novel based on his unfinished memoirs. Published by the publishing wing of Centre for Research and Information, under able guidance of Radwan Mujib Siddiq, a grandson of the very man, Mujib is written in eloquent language with beautiful illustrations so that the younger generation can feel comfortable with and relate to it. After a ‘blockbuster’ success of the Bengali book launched in 2015, an English version of it was launched for a global audience. The novel tells the story of an ordinary young boy who grows up to lead his country. Based on The Unfinished Memoirs by Bangabandhu, the book series follows the journey of Bangladesh’s founding father from childhood to political awakenings. This book can be a crucial instrument to get the younger generation interested in Bangabandhu and educate themselves on his life and struggles of establishing a free, liberated, sovereign state of Bangladesh.