Book-Buzz back with its second iteration

The second iteration of Books Buzz took place on September 29, 2023. The event was presented by Pathak Shamabesh and directed by writers Moom Rohoman, Swakrito Noman, and Mojaffor Hossain.

Taking place at the Pathak Shamabesh bookstore in Katabon, the program featured an evening of discussion and dialogue with prominent Indian writer, journalist, and researcher, Ushinor Majumdar, whose investigative reports have appeared in Tehelka, Hindustan Times, Mumbai Mirror, BBC Media, and more. The multi-award winning writer's latest book, India's Secret War: BSF and Nine Months to the Birth of Bangladesh, was published this August by the globally renowned publication house Penguin Random House India.

"I received the warmest welcome in Dhaka from readers, writers and bookstore owners. I felt right at home in the city thanks to the interest that its citizens take in books. I have come across this during the Kolkata Boi Mela (Book Fair) but being in Dhaka provided a closer view," said Ushinor while speaking to Daily Star Books. He continued, "It was an honour to speak about my book India's Secret War at these wonderful venues that are well-designed tributes to literature and writing. Possibly, these were far better than some of the bookstores I have seen in New Delhi. The events at Pathak Shamabesh and Bookworm were international events for me, in a country whose language is the same as mine and from which my grandfather migrated a century ago.  I did not feel like I was interacting with strangers and it gave me goosebumps to meet with and hear from Muktijoddhas, after researching and writing about them."

Ushinor Majumdar's book details how, since Partition, the Pakistan military junta had continued to exert unjust power over Bengal and its resident Bengalis. Their oppression came to a head during Operation Searchlight on the night of March 25, 1971 as the Pakistani military swooped down on sleeping Bengalis in the dead of the night. India was one of the first nations to come forward to aid Bangladesh in the war that ensued, and India's BSF, or Border Security Force, directly assisted Bangladesh's War of Liberation.

"A lot has been written about the Liberation War and the only reason I decided to write about it is because it is fresh material," said Ushinor Majumdar. "India's Secret War contains new material, accessed exclusively from the archives of the Indian BSF and through interviews of its veterans who served alongside Muktijoddhas. It gave me an opportunity to learn about our shared history while adding to it. For example, a chapter details, for the first time, the first two months of the Swadhin Bangla Betaar Kendra after it moved from Kalurghat and operated from Tripura (India).

"There are several untold missions and successes of joint actions by the BSF and the Mukti Bahini during the nine long months of the Liberation War. It could also be a great way for readers to find out the roots of the Indo-Bangla relationship and the great sacrifices made for its making. I have ensured that the writing is simple and visually descriptive so that it is not a lesson in history but the reader can look over the shoulders of the protagonists as their stories unfold."

As the synopsis of Ushinor Majumdar's books notes, "With access to classified records and through exhaustive interviews with surviving veterans, award-winning investigative reporter Ushinor Majumdar has crafted this first comprehensive historical account of the BSF's role in the Bangladesh liberation war, which changed the course of South Asian history".

Book Buzz-2 featured discussions between Ushinor Majumdar and other Bangladeshi writers, readers, and critics. Majumdar also spoke about his experience of writing India's Secret War: BSF and Nine Months to the Birth of Bangladesh.