Description
Book SynopsisThe study provides an in-depth, up-to-date, and scholarly analysis of the liberation war and the Sheikh Mujib Regime of Bangladesh. Situating the emergence of Bangladesh in the broader historical context of the partition of British India in 1947, the study re-examines: a) how Mujib successfully galvanized the legitimate grievances of Bangladeshi people during the united Pakistan period (194771) and how a highly successful guerilla warfare of Bangladeshi people led to dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971 with crucial military and political support from neighboring India; (b) how in the post-liberation Bangladesh the Mujib regime toyed with contradictory political ideologies of democracy and socialism, and eventually ended up with a one-party monolithic rule; (c) how in the economic sphere the Mujib regime vacillated between petty bourgeoisie and socialist inclinations by half-heartedly pursuing socialization of agriculture and nationalization of industries, which resulted in plundering of
Trade ReviewDowlah confirms the continued salience of the debate about the place of Sheik Mujib in contemporary Bangladeshi history and politics. This book will have special relevance for insiders who know the characters and wish to garner support for the various and sometimes contradictory interpretations of the liberation struggle and the first years of the country's independence under the charismatic leadership of its founding father, Sheik Mujibur Rahman. It also is an easy read for those who desire an insider's view of the 1971 struggle, the emergence of Bangladesh, and its aftermath. -- Shelley Feldman, Cornell University
Caf Dowlah's lucid and methodical study of the Bangladesh Liberation War and its aftermath offers a careful explication of one of the twentieth century's most triumphant and tragic struggles for independence. Eschewing over-determined historical analysis and the temptations of hagiography, Professor Dowlah offers a measured assessment of the charismatic Sheikh Mujib and his role in the struggle for Bangladesh. Balancing Mujib's skills as a nationalist torchbearer against his inability to deliver on the promise of economic and political reform, this book represents a valuable contribution to the flowering of new literature on the unlikely birth of a new South Asian nation. -- Benjamin Siegel, Boston University
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Sheikh Mujib’s Rise to National Prominence Chapter 2: The Failure of Tripartite Negotiation and the Military Crackdown Chapter 3: The Liberation War and the Emergence of Bangladesh Chapter 4: The Mujib Regime: Major Political Measures Chapter 5: The Mujib Regime: Major Economic Measures Chapter 6: The Curtain Falls Chapter 7: The Mujib Regime: Major Legacies and Controversies
