Book Review  

Al Bho(n)dorer Desh

Reviewed by Professor Ajoy K. Roy

E-mail: avijit@citechco.net 

[A Letter to Fatemolla]

 

Dear Fatemolla,

I got hold of your book "Al Bho(n)darer Desh" and gone through it some time back [September]. As per your request I wanted to write up a review of it. But so many things are happening I couldn't keep pace with time. Now I realize it will take more time to do so- may be I will not be able to do so at all. I therefore decided to make tit bit comments on your book and post it to [Mukto-Mona] forum, of course if you permit, now and then.

I like your style of writing. You have a rare capability of presenting very serious things in an attractive story telling fashion- mixed with 'humour-satire-sarcasm' and emotion, yet not loosing your main theme. This makes your write up beautiful, attractive for a general reader. A more serious reader may not like it but that does not in any way devalue your writings. Once started, reader is drawn to the end of your article. This is the strength of your pen. I appreciate it very much. No reader will fail to understand the depth of your knowledge in various fields - history, religion.... .

I will make some comments article by article, if I can make time. To day, I shall make some passing remarks on your first article 'Al-HBO(n)dor'.

Your Al Bho(n)dor [ Al Badar ] boasts, as you have very rightly put in his mouth:

" ... Remember 'seventy one'- yes that Seventy-One. That Sixteenth December. Gush, my eyes burn with fire [anger turns into fire] in my eyes, even in the dark when I remember those fateful dates. ... . The accumulated hatred of mine of twenty six years tend to fall on the land of fifty six square miles as a thunder storm, the deadly weapon 'Bajra' of Lord Indra. Remember, the hatred of entire nation made me disgraced in Seventy-One? Do you remember those dreadful nine months of Seventy-One? Do you remember how deadly we fought against you, the freedom fighters? Remember, how I burnt thousands of villages, driven way crones of people from their home land, killed lakhs (10 lakhs = 1 million) of common men, women and children, and raped women after women from one village to another, from one city to another; remember cries of those helpless women which shaken the upper sky of Allah (Arash). ..... Do you know I, Al Bho(n)dar have killed two million sons of Adam in Bangladesh, according to conservative estimate of Human Rights Commission. ..... Yet I failed, I was defeated in Seventy-one.

..... Do you think I have forgotten those shame that disgrace? Don't
you see in this seventy six years where am I now from where? Ha ha ha ... !
Do you remember the day when I, your Son of Bangla, Shah Azizur Rahman
uttered in the UNO in Seventy one that nothing had happened in East
Pakistan - "Everything is fine and normal"? Have I not become your Prime
Minister under Your Muktiyodha President Zia ur Rahman. ... I Moulana
Mannan, a great Al Bho(n)dar, have not served your Zia as his religious
minister ? I, Gloom Azam, the leader of the Al Bho(n)dar's organization, -
have I not boastfully uttered " No I have not done anything wrong in Seventy
One ". I, Khatib of your National Mosque, Baitul Mokarram, your religious
leader - Have I not said, " only a few traitors were involved in
disintegrating Pakistan? "

.... Do you need any more examples or illustrations? .... I have
restored and rehabilitated hundreds of such killers and rapist in today's
Bangladesh. Do you feel ashamed? I slapped and slapped at the cheek of the
'Lion-Seventy One'. My five fingers have made a permanent blood stained
impression on the cheek of your lion. Ha ha ha .... ! Bravo! Bravo to me!

Men forget the taste of Victory with time, even the honour & pride, as
you did. You shattered the sanctity of your great days- Sixteenth December,
Twenty first February, Twenty sixth March, and brought down those great
occasions to mere rituals. But men do not forget defeat, disgrace, - as I
didn't. In every blood vessel of mine, in each breathing of mine I kept
alive the disgrace and humiliation of December Sixteen. In your documents-
many events, many facts are recorded. Do you remember what Rabeya, a sweeper
of Rajarbag Police-line said in her statement? In the said Police-line
hundreds of your sisters were made the objects of sexual pleasures of the
defenders of Pakistan. Raping is nothing compared to those unimaginable
beastly perverted sexual tortures carried on to those wretched women. If you
haven't read it, please don't. Bengali girls were bifurcated in naked
tearing up two legs. This was the beginning of many variegated atrocities
committed by us. It is beyond imagination. The story is full of panoramic
views of bloody pictures after pictures recorded in the hearts of your
people during the nine months. Even the Satan will be at a loss after
witnessing those pictures. But pity, in you there is no feeling left
whatsoever of those tortures, pains and humiliation of your sisters,
daughter in laws and mothers, - yes no impact is left on you! Ha .. ha .. ha
!

.... You even do not look back to your great war heroine Birpratik
Taraman Bibi who is anguishing in hunger; you don't care that the
ship-drowning (Jahaz-mara) great freedom fighter Birpratik Habib is now
pulling Rickshaw for his livelihood. What a pity. Ha ha ha ... !

Surely, I shall be back. I will, yes I will set up in each and every
villages of sixty thousand villages a brain washing centre in each Madrasa.
The process has started long before- and we are getting its fruits now. Ha
ha ha ... !

.... Yes I shall remove and delete all traces of my defeats from the
history, from every and each document(s). New generation will never know the
story of my defeat, story of my war crimes, story of my perverted sexual
operations done on your womenfolk. They will not learn the history of
tortured or oppressed people of this country; they will not read the history
of nation's revolution; they will not know the story of their victory. They
will not learn that this earth is not for the demons but for human beings.
They will be taught that once at the instance and provocation of one
notorious man named Shaikh Mujibur Rahman, only a handful of miscreants
tried to do damage to the good name of Islam, and they have been uprooted
from the soil of the country.

Do you listen, the whispering sounds of my footsteps? I will come back,
come back to the bank of river 'Dhanshiri' in this very land - Bangla. A
great poet of yours did said this - didn't he ? What is his name? Oh yes I
remember- Jibanand Das. Ah, What a name! But why slave (Das)? .......
....... ...... ......
Yes I say again, I shall come back. I am the Al-Bho(n)dor of Kali era.
Check if you can. Face me, defeat me you the comrades of the 'Lion of
Seventy One'.

Ha ha ha ...... ( Pages: 11-12, 13-15 )

 

I have translated some tit bits from your article to give a taste of your writings, your feelings to the non-Bangla readers of this forum. A very bad and hurried translation indeed. How prophetic you were fatemolla!

Let me now tell the story of the rehabilitation of your Al-Bho(n)dor, to me Al-Badar. The history of Bangladesh following the shocking event of Seventy-five is the history of rehabilation of Al Badars and reestablishment of their institutions, restoration of their belief, faih and ideals.

The events that led to the restoration, rehabilitation and now sharing seat of state power of the state we once called Peoples Republic of Bangladesh:

1. (a) General Amnesty declared in 1974 (?) by the then Prime Minister Bangabandhu Shaikh Mujibur Rahman. Although this amnesty was not to be applicable to war criminals, rapists or violators of chastity of women of any kind, looting, killing, burning and destruction residence or business establishments, industries, factories etc. etc.

(b) Absorption of repatriated armies including top officials who willingly fought for Pakistan against Indian Army (who were then component of Mitra-Bahibni at Eastern front) at western front. No where in the history of war of liberation a liberation army is mixed up with major components that did not participate in the war of liberation. It had not happened in China, or in Cuba, or in Vietnam. Th price is heavily paid by us; even greatest sacrifice of Bangabandhu and his family could repair the irreparable damage. The present army of Bangladesh is not apolitical as of Britain or of India. It is a highly politicized army with definite pro-Islamic and pro-BNP leaning. Muktiyudha-Chetana (Concept or conscience of war liberation) is totally absent in the present army of Bangladesh.

2. Killing of Bangabandhu by the conspirators (National and international) involving civil-military bureaucrats, a faction of repatriated army particularly of artillery section, politicians in collusion with international agents. The killers have fulfilled their Pakistani Master General Yahiya's wish expressed in 26th March broad cast from Radio Pakistan "This man is a traitor. .... This time he and his party will not go unpunished ". The slaves of the master Farukh, Dalim and many others successfully carried out the order of Yahiya in August 15, 1975. Except his two daughters Shake's entire family was eliminated including his minor son.

3. Assumption of State Power by Zia Ur Rahamn: The so-called revolution of 7th November that put Ziaur Rahman at the seat of state power. The democratic character of our constitution was annulled. Of the four basic state ideals Democracy, Secularism, Socialism, Nationalism Secularism and Socialism were struck out from the constitution by martial law decree. " Bismillah e Rahman e Rahim" was inserted into the Constitution thus making it non-secular and non-democratic. The non Muslim section of the citizens were made second class citizen and their equal right to state affairs was thus snatched away. By changing the fundamental principles of the constitution Zia put an Islamic label to our constitution of 1972 which is the fruit of our liberation war. So the state is no more a Peoples Republic. Revival of banned political parties (pro-Islamic and pro-Pakistani) in the name of multiparty democracy. Finally withdrawal of collaboration cases including those charged with killing, raping, looting, and forcible occupation of properties by General Zia in his infinite love for the collaborators, peace-committee members and razakars. Zima's philosophy was that after the successful end of liberation all Bangladeshis are equal irrespective rajakars or freedom fighters. This policy meticulously followed by even BNP of Khaleda Zia led to the formation of pro-Islamic and pro-Pakistan 4-party alliance.

General Zia's Assumption of power was the turning point of the history of Bangladesh and put the clock back to communal days of 1946. This event paved the way to rehabilitation Jamatis and other anti-liberation elements.

4. Introduction of "Bangladeshi" nationalism by Ziaur Rahman in place of Bangalee is the negation of the very basis of our war of liberation, which was the culmination of our struggle and movement of twenty-five years since 1947 to establish our right as Bangalee. Intrinsically Bangladeshi concept was brought in to counter the secular concept inherent in Bangalee nationalism. This is an attempt to negate our very spirit of 21 February which made us to become Bangalee, and inspired us to return to our homeland (Badruddin Omar- Bangali Musalmaner Swadesh Prtayabartan) and to become secular. On the other hand Bangladeshi Nationalism envisages the aspiration of Muslim-Bangla a concept based on Pakistani ideas and Islamic principles. In this Nationalism non-Muslims have no place, they are to be driven away from the main stream of the national life. They will be 'jimmy' just like the Jews and Christians who were treated as a third or fourth grade creatures in Islamic empire of the Prophet (Sm.) and his four successors.

5. Formation of Bangladesh National Party (BNP) by Zia ur Rahman with pro-Islamic and pro-Pakistani elements of different cross-sections of the people that includes Politicians from rejected political parties of Muslim League tradition, Ex Military personal, ex bureaucrats, opportunist extreme leftists, and fanatic religious elements. The BNP was formed on the model of Muslim League of Ayub Khan, political mentor of Zia Ur Rahman with more Islamic bias. It is a modern Muslim League with a new name - it is an old wine cocktailed with Islamic juice in a new bottle. Its outfit is modern in the sense the leaders will wear safari, tip-top English-cut suit but in thinking they are out and out Islamic and medieval. It will use fruits of science but will not cultivate scientific philosophy, scientific rationalism or logic. The new party addresses the aspiration of Muslim youths who read science, use computers, wear jeans, have night party with wine and girl friends, but draws inspiration from Quran, Hdith and Sunnah having unqualified faith in Allah, Behest, and Dojokh. Secularism, freethinking, liberalism, humanism, democracy have no place in the philosophy of BNP. It professes and practices dictatorship and autocracy.

6. Induction of known anti-Bangladesh elements like Shah Azizur Rahman to the office of Prime Minister, known razakar Moulana Mannan to ministry of religion and many such pro-Pakistani and pro-Islamic elements in important Government offices and autonomous bodies.

7. Return of Rajakar Shrestha (greatest razakar) Golum Azam to Bangladesh by Zia ur Rahman and allowed to stay in Bangladesh, who subsequently became the Amir of Jamt - i - Islam.

8. Anti state case filed against the leaders including Shaheed Janani Jahanara Begum, of the "Ghtak Dalal Nirmul Andolan" ( Movement for elimination Killers and Collaborators ) by Madam Khaleda-Government

9 Restoration of citizenship of Great razakar Golum Azam by the Bangladesh High Court with high court's comments that an alien government was installed in Bangladesh for which Golum Azam couldn't return to Bangladesh at that time. Look at the audacity of the court to call the government of Bangladesh which led our war of liberation to a successful end as alien.

10 . Blundering joint movement lunched by Awami League with Jamatis in mid ninety's for a caretaker government under which a general election is to take place after the usual tenure of an elected government.

11 . Formation of 4-party alliance led by BNP of Khaleda Bibi with Jamat-i-Islami as the most significant and important component. This ultimately led the victory of 4-party alliance that put Jamat to state power and govern Bangladesh. What a tragedy! Whom shall I blame - the voters, conspirators led by Justice Latifur Rahman, Begum Khaleda, wife of freedom fighter Bir Uttam Major Zia ur Rahman, the so called proclaimant of Independence of Bangladesh, the callousness of the Awami League and the secular forces including the freedom fighters?

With good luck and very best wishes.

 

Comment of Taslima Nasrin on this book in Mukto-mona

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Published at : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/3247