Bangladesh was once East Pakistan, the Muslim nation carved out of the Indian Subcontinent when it gained independence from Britain in 1947. As religion alone could not keep East Pakistan and West Pakistan together, Bengali-speaking East Pakistan fought for and achieved liberation in 1971. Coups and assassinations followed, and two decades later it completed its long, tumultuous transition to parliamentary government. Its history is complex and tragic-one of war, natural disaster, starvation, corruption, and political instability. First published in India by the Aleph Book Company, Salil Tripathi's lyrical, beautifully wrought tale of the difficult birth and conflict-ridden politics of this haunted land has received international critical acclaim, and his reporting has been honored with a Mumbai Press Club Red Ink Award for Excellence in Journalism. "The Colonel Who Would Not Repent" is an insightful study of a nation struggling to survive and define itself.
About the Author
Salil Tripathi has been a foreign correspondent in Singapore and is a contributing editor to Mint and Caravan, both published in India. A former board member of English PEN, he works at a human rights organization in London and has been a visiting fellow for business and human rights at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He lives in London, UK.
Reviews
"Superb and harrowing... A fine and judicious account of the horrors of the Bangladesh war of independence" – Philip Hensher, The Guardian
"This is a compelling, haunting chronicle of the tragic recent history of Bangladesh. A heartbreaking tale of war, famine, insurgency, coups, and democratic politicking, Salil Tripathi's powerful book is important reading for anyone trying to understand modern South Asia" – Gary J. Bass, author of "The Blood Telegram: India's Secret War in East Pakistan", a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
"Many nation-states of Asia and Africa were once celebrated for their bold act of self-determination. They are best understood today through their failure to break free of their bloody origins, and their always likely descent into anarchy. Salil Tripathi's book resourcefully and grippingly describes Bangladesh's tormented search for truth and justice, and its implications for the stability of one of world's largest Muslim countries" – Pankaj Mishra, author of "From the Ruins of Empire", and winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize for Non-Fiction
"Salil Tripathi brings together the narrative skill of a novelist and the analytical tools of a political journalist to give us the story of a nation that is absorbing, haunting and illuminating" – Kamila Shamsie, author of "In the City by the Sea" and "A God in Every Stone"
"A sensitive and nuanced account of the story of Bangladesh based on eye witness narratives of key players as well as ordinary citizens that make the book a riveting reading. It puts together materials from various sources and presents the contestations, contradictions and dilemmas of Bangladeshi politics in a balanced yet highly readable style. The study will be of use both to a scholarly and a popular audience" – Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka, Bangladesh
