Bangladesh - Untold Facts

The year 1971 is etched in the collective consciousness of Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Indians though to a lesser degree as a time of tragedy and upheaval. For Bangladeshis 1971 was the year of blood and tears, for Pakistanis deep humiliation, and for the Indians of triumph. Lt Col Sharif ul Haq Dalim has unraveled some of the rare facts about military operations in then East Pakistan and Liberation War for Bangladesh in his book Bangladesh: Untold Facts. There is a lot of literature on 1971 but, understandably enough, very little of it comes from Pakistan. The liberation literature in Bangladesh rests upon the perception of victimhood to the point of denying resistance from Bengali armed fighters at places. The literature from India mostly accounts of military officers focuses on the 1971 war without taking account of the role of India in East Bengal from March 1971 onwards. It, too, misses out both on the perspectives of the Bengalis as well as the West Pakistanis. This book is the best account of 1971, so far. The book is also eminently readable. For all these qualities the book is recommended strongly to scholars of South Asia and the interested layperson alike, which will remain required reading for times to come.