Bangladesh Book Fair: Sheikh Muzibur Rahaman very much alive in Bengali hearts

By Arnab Mitra

Kolkata: 'The Unfinished Memoirs', an autobiography by Sheikh Muzibur Rahaman, was the main attraction of this year's Bangladesh Book Fair (September 5-September 13) in Kolkata. The book tells about the atrocities of the then Pakistan Government on the people of Bangladesh and how the fight of 10 lakh Bengalis for the respect of their mother tongue gave birth to Bangladesh on December 16, 1971.

The book was written by Muzibur Rahaman when he was in prison between 1967 and 1969. But after his assassination, the copy slid into oblivion, coming into limelight again in 2004 after its recovery from the room of his associate, Sheikh Moni. It took 8 years to give a final shape to the book and it was finally published in 2012 with the collaboration of the Penguin Publication.

But due to some problem with the publication house, the book was not available in the city since it gained popularity in 2012. The people of Kolkata were glad to gain access to Muzibur Rahaman's rare memories and they appreciated the effort by the Bangladesh High Commission to make the book available in the city.

NewsGram talked to a few people at the fair, and they were very much delighted to have an opportunity to read his autobiography. School-goer Sumana Bannerjee said, "My parents witnessed the genocide during the Bangladesh independence movement; the book will help me reconcile their memories".

On September 12, the commission arranged a discussion on the life and contribution of Muzibur Rahaman in the Bangladesh independence movement. The panelists talked about his contribution and they agreed that the recent condition in Bangladesh was not the way Rahaman dreamt of. "Bangabandhu is still remembered for his immense dedication and effort behind the independence of Bangladesh", said noted writer Sirshendu Mukherjee.