5 books to read on Victory Day

With Bangladesh celebrating its 51st Victory Day this year, these books, published in 2022, help readers explore the history and legacy of the Liberation War.

Smritir Pataye Muktijuddho O Sonakanda
Nasir Uddin Ahmed
Anannya (2022)

Written by freedom-fighter Nasir Uddin Ahmed, this memoir talks about his experiences of fighting in the Liberation War; the historical and sociocultural shifts in his birthplace, Sonakanda; and his university days at Jahangirnagar University. The candour with which the book is written enables the author to shed light on various socio-political issues and readers get a feel of the real life implications as per his observations. 

Shurjo's Clan 
Iffat Nawaz
Penguin Random House India (2022) 

Bangladeshi-American writer Iffat Nawaz's debut novel Shurjo's Clan tells the story of a young girl growing up in the newly formed country of Bangladesh. With the mingling of magical realism and history, the story follows the adventures of a family as they migrate to East Bengal after the Partition in 1947 and experience the horrors of the Liberation War in 1971. The book vividly reimagines the struggles the family has to face in a country born into sorrow. 

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In Iffat Nawaz’s debut novel, 1971 is not an open wound

Porobashe Bondhu Amar 
Arif Rahman
Granthik Prokashon (2022) 

The book covers the crucial role of the Bangladeshi diaspora and the international community during the Liberation War in garnering international attention and help for the ailing country. With the goal of making their contributions more known within the younger generation, the book discusses multiple people from the international community, from doctors to diplomats, who were a part of the war, in the form of stories written in very accessible language. 

Narider Ekattor
Afsan Chowdhury
The University Press Limited (2022) 

Written by the recipient of the Bangla Academy Award in 2018, Afsan Chowdhury's book narrates the multifaceted encounters faced by women during the Liberation War. From the horrors of rape and torture in the hands of Pakistani soldiers to the important roles played as the ones actively fighting in the war, the book attempts to shatter the previously held stereotypes on women's role during the time of the war by adding newer dimensions to the commonly held narrative.  

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Remembering the Birangona: The power of personal narratives

Mujibnagar Government O Bortoman Bangladesh 
Akbar Ali Khan 
Prothoma Prokashon (2022) 

In his book Mujibnagar Shorkar O Bortoman Bangladesh, the late economist and bureaucrat Akbar Ali Khan discusses the urgent formation of the Mujibnagar government during the Liberation War and how the government has evolved over the years. He shares his experiences of being at the helm of various government entities throughout the years and talks about how they have changed since the Mujibnagar government. The chapters on the establishment of the Mujibnagar government will fascinate anyone interested in the history of the Liberation War.