EMB 101 : EMERGENCE OF BANGLADESH

Fall 2022

FINAL BOOK REVIEW

Submitted to : Sayed Abu Touab Shakir

Submitted By:

MD. Mustaq Mujahid

ID : 22121030

Section: 23

Date of submission : 22/12/2022

 Of Blood and Fire

The Untold Story of Bangladesh's War of Independence

Introduction:

The author Jahanara Imam recalls what it was like to live a normal life throughout a genocide. In
addition, she describes the chronic anxiety she has been suffering. She is more concerned about
losing the people she loves about than she is about dying. Along with her husband, two boys, and
father-in-law, she resides on Elephants Road with her family. She starts documenting her
experiences in the notebook on March 1, 1971, the day the horrifying events started, and as we
shall see below, within a month, the whole city is transformed into a war zone.

Historical Context:

In 1947, two states named India and Pakistan were created on religious principles. However,
East Pakistan and West Pakistan were the two subsequent divisions of Pakistan. A roughly 1300
km distance separated these two regions. But through various politically biased actions of the
ruling party, the people of East Pakistan were able to realize that this partition was not as
beneficial for them as they thought. However, the Bengalis have never been willing to accept
injustice. Moreover, the first indication of their protest can be found in 1952, when Urdu was
being considered as the official language in place of Bangla, which had been the mother tongue.
West Pakistan once exercised some form of dictatorship over East Pakistan. In addition, the
people of east Pakistan were routinely the targets of oppression, discrimination, and exploitation.
When the limits of oppression were exceeded, the people of Bengal jumped into the liberation
war against Pakistani, heeding the call of Bangabandhu, the nation's founder. The ordinary
people of Bengal took up arms in response to the Pakistani invaders' ongoing oppression,
killings, looting, and rape. Over the course of nine months, ten million people fled and sought
refuge in India across the border, while three million people were killed.

Analysis:

The harsh Bangladeshi independence struggle is the central theme of the book. Several instances
of prejudice by West Pakistan towards East Pakistan have also been uncovered. When the author
first visited the market, he saw that there was not a single product created in East Pakistan.
(Imam,1990, p. 11) Not even soap or detergent. The majority of manufactured items originated
in East Pakistan, where they were created from scratch utilizing local resources. However, there

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remained a large cost discrepancy between East Pakistan and West Pakistan's living expenses.
The monopolization of the market by West Pakistan was the fundamental reason of this.

In their society, the Imam family, of which Jahanara Imam was a part, possessed a significant lot
of wealth and distinction. This allowed him to ensure he had sufficient food for the night before
the curfew was enforced.(Imam,1990,p.12) The conditions were fairly restrictive back then. The
rising cost of vital products and services may contribute to the public's increasing feeling of fear
and unpredictability. Consequently, the author was able to avoid the economic hardships that the
majority of people were experiencing at the time.

Since the author based her work on her experiences during the war for independence, all of the
book's events are based on actual occurrences. She went into considerable detail in her writing
about the events occurring at the time. Despite the fact that it reads like any other story, this one
is notable because it reveals the ugliness of the Pakistani Army. Despite the fact that it reads like
any other story. In spite of the fact that the novel depicts the Bengalis' peaceful movement
escalating into a violent conflict, the author of this piece describes how the East Pakistani
leadership rejected ceding authority to the West Pakistanis. This occurs within the scope of this
paragraph. The author has also highlighted the fear that permeated the minds of ordinary people
when the war broke out. Her remarks offer the hints (Imam,1990, p.15).

March was dominated by two big events. Sheikh Mujib delivered his famous statement on March
7, and the Pakistanis carried out their atrocity on March 25.
When military leader Yahya Khan abruptly canceled the first session of the Pakistani Parliament
on March 1, 1971, the West Pakistani bluff became crystal evident. Over the next few days, a
series of events would transpire. The reaction from the public was quick. Mujib held a press
conference to harness the crowd's enthusiasm after considerable outrage about the delay. He
demanded a stop to violence and cooperation and called for a statewide strike. He has requested
for a town hall meeting on March 7. Hundreds of thousands of people protested the government
by marching through the streets. The Pakistani security forces opened fire, resulting in the deaths
of scores of protestors. Mujib protested vehemently the killing of people. In this context, Mujib
made an appearance in front of a large crowd of supporters on March 7 (Independence,2015).

The Pakistani military dictatorship headed by General Yahya Khan initiated a military campaign
against East Pakistani citizens on March 25, 1971. Hundreds of thousands of Bengali people
were massacred and millions more were displaced as a consequence of Operation Searchlight. In
March, Pakistan disarmed Bengali forces to prevent counterattacks. Pakistani Bengalis joined.

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On March 25, a curfew and violence are planned. At 11:30 p.m., Operation Searchlight
commenced the execution of Bengalis on route to Farmgate. The University of Dhaka was
assaulted. 17th, 22nd, and 32nd Punjab were responsible for defending Dhaka University. After
the curfew, tanks, automatic weapons, rocket launchers, heavy mortars, and light machine guns
infiltrated Dhaka University. Targeted were the Shahid, Jagannath, and Salimullah Muslim
Halls. Pakistanis killed Rajarbagh police. Pakistan attacked there. Pakistani strikes overpowered
Rajarbagh police. The Pakistanis intended to invade, occupy, and exploit Bangladesh via savage
ethnic cleansing and political leader abduction. Bengalis were already enraged before to the
horrific attack, but it fuelled their desire for independence (Tahmid,2022).

The author evaluates the political themes hidden in the station's songs and music to estimate the
relevance of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendro (radio station) in the Bangladeshi independence
fight. (Imam,1990, p.71) Through interviews and textual analysis, the author determined that the
radio station provided the Bengali people with a reliable source of war news and information in
order to counter the massive propaganda campaign waged by the invading Pakistani military;
and that the songs contained encrypted signals and codes for the benefit of Bangladeshi soldiers
stationed on the battlefront. The songs also helped to develop a patriotic spirit among the
oppressed Bengalis. Furthermore, the radio station used the tunes to amuse and console a public
that was battling hard for its right to freedom and independence.

Raghavan notes that since 1970, China has urged Yahya Khan to resolve the East Pakistanis'
concerns amicably. China maintained tight ties with prominent East Pakistani communists like
Maulana Bashani, who had turned Bengali nationalists over time. However, the Chinese were not
in favor of "separatism" in Bengal or East Pakistan. They believed that an independent East
Pakistan would connect India and the Soviet Union, which supported India. This is why the
Chinese authorities encouraged the Pakistani leadership to negotiate a deal with the Bengalis to
rescue a unified Pakistan (Raghavan,2021).

However, Yahya was adamantly opposed to any agreement, particularly with East Pakistan's
most popular leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Yahya despised Mujib's Awami League ever
since it won the East Pakistan general elections in December 1970 on the basis of a separatist
six-point charter. Zhou attempted to persuade Yahya that if certain political moves were taken,
India and the USSR would have no need to intervene militarily in East Pakistan. "Immediate
political and economic actions are required to put a stop to the separatist campaign," Zhou stated.
In one of his letters to Yahya, Zhou said unequivocally, "The East Pakistan problem should be
handled according to the desire of the East Pakistani people." Pakistan only published Zhou's
letter after removing the offending wording.

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Here, an effort is made to investigate China's strategic thinking about a critical area, namely
South Asia, and the realpolitik that renders revolutionary promises irrelevant. China's inability to
prevent the formation of Bangladesh necessitated the fabrication of a false justification and the
rapid transformation of a hostile populace into a friendly one. History concludes where politics
starts; nonetheless, history explains the current political picture in South Asia — the developing
triangle of China-Pakistan-Bangladesh, which is favorable to the United States while feeding on
anti-Indian hatred.

The Pakistani Army attempted to convince the world that everything was OK by inserting
characters into radio and television broadcasts.(Imam,1990, p.123) The Pakistani military was
confident that it could influence public opinion worldwide by spreading false information, and
that it might even cause significant unrest inside Pakistan. Participating in such initiatives is not
popular, and many individuals would rather not join up. Many people are forced to sign up for
military training programs because of fear of the army's weaponry.

During the liberation struggle, the Pakistani army committed grave violations of human rights,
but the United Nations (UN) was unable to stop the suffering of millions of people in Bangladesh
because it can only be effective when all five permanent members of the Security Council
(UNSC) act in concert. At the time, the UNSC was split along the geopolitical lines of the Cold
War. Throughout the Liberation War, the United Nations served as a venue for debating but not
settling the 1971 war. Three times, the USSR rejected the United Nations Security Council's
demands for a rapid ceasefire and withdrawal to pre-war positions. The Polish Resolution (15
December 1971), which reportedly had the support of the USSR, left India with little alternative
but to use blitzkrieg operations to end the war and free Bangladesh.

The Indian Army reduced the Pakistani army to its knees, captured 93,000 Pakistani captives,
and granted freedom to 75 million Bangladeshis (Imam,1990,p.295). More than 3,800 Indian and
Pakistani troops were killed in this struggle to stop the genocide Pakistan was committing on the
Bengali inhabitants of East Pakistan. Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) fought (West)
Pakistan in the Bangladesh Liberation War for independence. In 1971, the Pakistani Army
initiated a terrible genocide against an innocent Bengali populace, namely the Hindu minority in
East Pakistan. As Pakistan's transgressions intensified, former Indian Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi resolved to take action against Pakistan and provide asylum to individuals dwelling
across the border. Following her instruction to Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw to execute
an operation against Pakistan, India declared war on its neighbor. According to estimates,
between 300,000 and three million people perished in Bangladesh. Eight to ten million people
sought asylum in India because to the ensuing rapes, torture, murders, and battles. Indira Gandhi

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hesitated to launch a full-scale war against Pakistan because the nation was already burdened by
the constant flow of refugees from East Pakistan, and launching a war would have entailed
inviting further suffering. She also encouraged foreign leaders to intervene and exert pressure on
Pakistan to end its barbarism; nevertheless, India was pushed for time and a prompt response was
required. She stated in Parliament on December 6 that India has granted recognition to the
Bangladeshi government. India and Pakistan signed the Shimla Agreement on August 2, 1972, in
which India pledged to free all 93,000 Pakistani war prisoners.

Character Analysis:

Jahanara Imam: This piece of writing was composed by Jahanara Imam. She is a mother,
author, and activist with an advanced degree. She described living in a typical Bengali household
in her writing. She appears to be a lovely and generous person. Despite all of her trials, she never
considered herself to be a selfish woman. Her willingness to help others was unwavering. As a
mother, she frequently worried for her two young children, Rumi and Jami. After discovering
Rumi's interest in the independence movement, she was unwilling to allow him to leave or
prevent him from joining it. Jami was her son, but she could not rescue him as others sacrificed
their life for the nation and its people. She backed the independence struggle by participating in
different demonstrations, which she did by standing idly by. The story is a metaphor for the
intellectuals who were unable to participate in person but offered their support diplomatically.

Rumi: Rumi is the son of Jahanara Imam and is still very young. Rumi is the kind of fiery
individual who is always eager to sacrifice everything for the nation and country. He falls within
this category. Never once did he hesitate before criticizing the Pakistani government. However,
they were scared as a result of Pakistani activities on March 25. However, he recovered quickly
and started to pay attention to his surroundings. Rumi symbolizes the young who were willing to
sacrifice their lives for their nation. In order to rescue the others, he confessed and accepted
responsibility at a moment of peril. He was a ruthless national hero. Furthermore, his gallantry
throughout insurgent actions was astounding.

Sharif: Throughout his whole life, Sharif shown reverence, dedication, and support for the
entirety of the Imam family. When they spoke about politics as a married couple, it was evident
that Sharif had an extensive understanding of politics. In addition to this, he shown a great deal
of care for the welfare of his progeny.

Jami: Jami, the eldest of Jahanara Imam's children, is also Jami, the same name as the kid who is
the youngest. His older brother Rumi's tales about Mukjuda served as a source of inspiration for

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him, and those tales also served as a source of motivation. After hearing about Rumi's valor in
guerilla warfare, Jami decides to dedicate his life to following in Rumi's footsteps.

Pagla Pir: Pir gave us a photograph of one of these individuals, who seemed to lead a regular
life in society but were, in reality, offering clandestine help to people fighting for liberation.
despite the fact that he seemed to be a con artist at first look we decided to trust him.

Conclusion : The book Of Blood and Fire was written in basic, easy-to-understand English. The
narrative is narrated in the first person from the viewpoint of Jahanara Imam. Jahanara Imam was
initially opposed to Rumi's participation in the conflict. She did, however, send her off to battle
in the end. When her son died, she longed for the country's independence, fulfilling what she felt
was his ultimate wish. At the same time, I witness Jahanara Imam displaying a broad range of
emotions. On occasion, she showed excitement that Bangladesh had entered a war, but on other
occasions, she voiced concern and despair owing to the likelihood of a large number of lives
being killed. The first and main item on Jahanara Imam's mind was the safety of her loved ones.
Her patriotism had grown stronger when she had to say goodbye to Rumi. Rumi, on the other
hand, was a strongly patriotic person with a fiery personality. He spent the latter years of his life
worrying about the status of the nation. Jahanara Imam, however, was unable to recollect
anything that happened in 1971 since she was a housewife at the time. She didn't do much more
than tell him the same tales he'd heard before. As a consequence, many of the major events of
1971 were left out of the book. The book's author describes how a mother dealt with her son's
choice to serve in the military, go off to battle, and eventually lose his life. I appreciate how she
told the narrative, but I believe it would have been more compelling if she had focused more on
the battle for independence and less on her daily life. Because the author of "Of Blood and Fire"
used a clear method to writing the novel, the tone of the work is equally straightforward. Her
work is written in such a manner that it is simple to grasp what she is expressing. On the other
hand, the author's writing gives me the impression that she is having difficulty articulating her
inner sentiments. For example, when she mentions Sharif's death, she does it in a clear manner
rather than an impassioned and fascinating manner. This is true throughout her whole speech. On
the other side, the book is really well ordered, making it easy to grasp what is happening
throughout the plot. As a result, the book is an excellent pick for anybody with limited reading
time. Furthermore, the author's representation of the lives of a huge number of other individuals
has allowed us to understand more about how people lived throughout the Liberation War. We
would not have been able to achieve this without the author's efforts. As a consequence, I will
not recommend this book to anybody interested in knowing more about the Liberation War of
1971. If someone is interested in learning about the experiences of a well-educated lady in 1971,
they may read this book in their spare time.

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References:

1. Imam, J. (1990). Of blood and fire. Charulipi Publication.

2. Kamal, S. (1989). Ekattorer Dairey | একাত্তরের ডায়েরী (First Edition). Hawlader

Prokashoni.

3. Rahman, S. M. (2012). Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: The Unfinished Memoirs. Viking.

4. Saday Batabyal, G. (2020). Politico-Military Strategy of the Bangladesh Liberation War,

1971 (1st ed.). Routledge India. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429317644

5. Editor. (2021, December 27). The mystery of China’s neutrality in the 1971 India-
Pakistan war. NewsIn.Asia. https://newsin.asia/the-mystery-of-chinas-neutrality-in-the-
1971-india-pakistan-war/

6. Hossain, M. Delwar, et al. "Music, political messaging and the Swadhin Bangla Betar
Kendro (Radio Station): Revisiting Bangladesh's war of Independence." International
Communication Research Journal, vol. 54, no. 2, fall 2019, pp. 17+. Gale Academic
OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A612476397/AONE?
u=anon~21c964f7&sid=googleScholar&xid=bdf1021f. Accessed 21 Dec. 2022.

7. Hossain,D.,A.(2004,September,pp 284).Bangladesher Etihasher Ruprekha, J.K. Press

and Publications

8. Operation Searchlight March 25, 1971: What actually happened on that day? (n.d.).
unb.com.bd. https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/operation-searchlight-march-25-
1971-what-actually-happened-on-that-day/89900

9. Blog. (2022, May 23). Centre for Research and Information.

https://cri.org.bd/2021/03/07/how-mujibs-7th-march-speech-became-the-roadmap-of-
bangladeshs-independence/

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10. Cilano, C. (2014). National identities in Pakistan: the 1971 war in contemporary
Pakistani fiction. Routledge.