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A Stunning New Look at Bangladesh

by S. Bari
TOURIST shops tn Dhaka and the bookshelves of Bengalis abroad haw or some year* years been filled with large glossy "Meet Bangladesh" — type books. Smiling village belle* and nakshikaniha. tigers and paddy fields arc the stuff of which such glorified tourist-brochures arc made. A worth white new coffee table book on Bangladesh ha* finally appeared on the market. For those who would like to flip through a well-planned, faclu ally-rich portrait of Bangl adesh, Bangla o Bangaleer Kathaa is the volume to reitch for the next lime you hit the bookshops.
I>ubllshcd by Jatlyo Sahllyo Prokashona. Bangla Is a slim hardbound book that spans the ethnic roots of Bengalis and other racial groups In the country, the geology, pre-and early history, the dynastic kingdom*. Islamization. British rub and the Swadeshi mow ment. the language Mowmcnl and Independence, and culture and music : and *1111 somehow manage* lo remain
easy to read. Writer and re-senreher Abdul Moincn per form* this magic trick with the help of his aparing uac of text and cyc-catchlngly simple graphk-s and Illustration*
The slick final product Is the result of nine month* of research by Momcn. who sifted through *pccialfot mate rial like n true student Momcn was Inspired by a Ik-ngnh Wring in the US. who commented that there were no books which gave a comprehensive overview of Bangladesh in Im man ■ language-, especially of ancient history. Tnl* cxpol found he had «llffk ully telling hl* children about iheir country of origin Bangla should lake care of that.
The best thing about the bnok is Its matter-of-fact approach to the ethnic and religious roots of Ikngalls. Most colTcx- tabic pubta-atton* seem to nx-ntioii Hinduism and the arrival of Islam In passing a* If suddenly a nation of Muslim* appeared Arc wc so unsure ol our MuUIiimk-s* that wc cannot
fan- the fact that our foretear* wen- low-caste Hindus who converted, or focal* who Intermarried wHh Incoming Muslims? Like II or nM. wc arc not Arabs or even Pe rsians : and what wc arc Is a nation that was by and large- converted. Ik-fore we- try and trace otir nncologs hock lo Mecca, kt us rvna-mber Ihal the Arab* were ronvnls loo. Then- I* no •tigiiai.lo lla«. Instead if ibis
beiiet m arc ataxy* i>UM try ing lo prove bow we were never, ever |God forbid!) a predominantly Hindu nation, who slowly assimilated Islam The author and the board of editors of Bangla (Saiahuddln Ahmed, Wahidul Huq. Anisu zznman. Jamil Chowdhury and Moftdul Huq) have the Intelligence to caft a spade a spade and present an ethnic history untainted by rehgtous hypocrisy The chapter on the coming of Islam I* ora- of the best in the book
Thi* Is the first time In the annate of Ik ngall pubhration Ihal a book contains such cf-feettve layout and looks Bangla o Bangaleer Kalhaa is n reader-friendly book cwn rm a subject such as history, which wc have managed so far to write with ever increasing stuffiness and (worse) political bta* The only thing that re mains Is for an English-Ian gunge version to hit tne stands. If more books like this appeared. and If only publishers had the funds to give them full colour treatment, wc would have fewer Ignornmuws around, both In our political clH-lcs and among the rest of us