Six Months & Six Days

Amalendu Chatterjee Ph.D.

Description

Bangladesh achieved a victory of territory or rather a foundation. The dream of the founding father was shattered by his assassination. Since his death, the country is moving in a wrong direction making it harder to achieve a sense of love, affection and sentiments to bind all people together irrespective of religions and ethnicities.
A chronological discriminatory events in author’s life while growing up in a dictatorial country including his participation and experience for a successful revolution of Bangladesh is articulated. All parents have a dream to leave some legacy for their children. My parents had the dream to leave his ancestral properties for all his 9 children. Seperation of British India into Pakistan and India created a human tragedy of killing, family seperation and hatred between Hindu-Muslims. Our family fell in that trap and we, all siblings, had to migrtae from Bangladesh first to India and then to other parts of the world almost penniless for the safety and security leaving everything behind. As of writing this book, that human tragedy still continues. Unfortunately, migration of minorities is one way from Pakistan and Bangladesh to India not that much from India to either Pakistan or Bangladesh. I wrote this book for my accomplished two children as a gift to be aware of the family tragedy as well as tragedies of million Bangladeshis hoping they may be inspired to make a change in the world for the sake of humanity. Hopefully, they will preserve the ideals and principles I stood for.

Sujets

• Histoire
• USSR
• Uno (desambiguación)
• USA
• Conocimiento de embarque
• Meta Lenguaje
• Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
• Puja
• BBC
• Razakar
• Nap (disambiguation)
• Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
• United States Environmental Protection Agency
• Vice president
• Soviet Union
• Islamism
• DSW
• Quota
• EID
• VP
• États-Unis
• INC
• History
• NAP
• IAS
• EPA
• ICC
• BL
• BNP
• AL
• IS
• MB
• P?j?
• ML
• CBI
• PPP
• British Broadcasting Corporation
• Union des républiques socialistes soviétiques

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 06 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665740968
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

SIX MONTHS & SIX DAYS
 
MY STRUGGLES DURING THE BANGLADESH WAR OF LIBERATION - A MEMOIR
 
 
 
Amalendu Chatterjee, Ph.D.
 
 
 

 
 
Copyright © 2023 Amalendu Chatterjee, Ph.D.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by
any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
 
Archway Publishing
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3863-7 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3862-0 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4096-8 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023905551
 
 
 
Archway Publishing rev. date: 06/02/2023
Acknowledgement
Writing of the book was possible with the encouragement and support from my doctor wife, Arundhati Chatterjee and the constructive editing help from our wonderful doctor sons, Avik Chatterjee, and Ayan C hatterjee.
 
 
A Country is not a mere territory; the territor y is
only its foundation. The Country is the idea which rises upon
that foundation: it is the sentiment of love, the sens e of
fellowship which binds together all the sons of that terri tory.
—Giuseppe Mazzini
Yes, Indian independence or freedom from British colonialism is a cause to celebrate. But seventy -f ive years of partition into Pakistan and India cannot be a celebration. It is a day of remembering human tragedy and killings, family separation, and hatred between Hindus and Muslims. Ironically, such a day reminds me of another fifty years of a genocide orchestrated by Pakistan for another separation—this one into Pakistan and Bangladesh—and a repeat of this same human tragedy. Once again, the results included killings, family separation, and hatred between Hindus and Muslims. The time is ripe for a history lesson now, so as to avoid spiraling into further separations. It is time for the hope that all human and political conflicts can be resolved without weapons—but, rather, through the art of compro mise.
—Amalendu Chatterjee, PhD
Contents
Acknowledgement
Preface
Part I
Chapter 1     Beginning The Story
Chapter 2     Glamourous Engineering Profession
Unwritten Instance of Discrimination
Shocking Instance Of Bribe
Betrayal By The Administration
Differentiating Terrorism – India Vs USA
Reviving Ottoman Empire
Prevailing Sad State of Bangladesh
Dramatic First Month
Family Love And Survival Anxiety
Traumatic Nine Months
New Government With Chaotic Administration
Chapter 3     Relentless Efforts To Land In Canada
Part II
Chapter 4     The Turtleback
Chapter 5     Aiming For College
Chapter 6     Underwater Concealment
Chapter 7     My Stronghold
Chapter 8     A Page From Robin Hood
Chapter 9     Turning Turbans
Chapter 10   Thinking Right From Wrong
Part III
Chapter 11   College and Engineering (1961–1967)
Chapter 12   The 1964 Race Riot
Chapter 13   1965 War And Agartala Conspiracy
Chapter 14   Mother’s Worst Fear
Chapter 15   Meeting The Governor
Chapter 16   The Saga of Going Abroad
Chapter 17   Toxic Political Environment And Observation
Chapter 18   Damned At The Dam
Chapter 19   Packing For The Road
Chapter 20   Bhutto’s Manipulation
Chapter 21   Fleeing To India
Chapter 22   My Identity Crisis
Chapter 23   The Liberation
Chapter 24   Operation Chengiz Khan And Name Calling
A Protest, Not A Liberation War.
The Ugly Face Surfaced
Operation Searchlight
Operation Jackpot
Reaction By World Bodies
India’s Inaction Enforcing Secular Constitution
Soldiers Surrendering And Spectacular TV Show
Part IV
Chapter 25   Efforts Going Abroad
Chapter 26   A Secret Trip After Forty-Two Years
Support Of Terrorism in Bangladesh
Chapter 27   Changes In Bangladesh’s National Identity
Barbaric Atrocities Committed By Islamists
Government Complicity On Atrocities
Part V
Chapter 28   Ending My Story
Chapter 29   Different Perspectives
Backstory: Son Of A Doctor
Family Reunion And Survival Experiences
Reintroduction of All Muslim Neighbors
New Work Environment
Friends Feedback As Testimony
My Father’s Death
My Family Story Of 1978
Internal Conflicts In Party (AL)
Serious Footnotes For Government’s Attention
Being Vigilant On Minority Concerns
Memory of February 21
Release of Mujibur Rahman
New Country With Unprecedent Feeling
Indira Gandhi’s Historic Visit To Bangladesh
Revival Of The 1972 Constitution
Pakistan’s Apology
Declaration Of Pakistan’s Atrocities As Genocide
Recommendations With Pros And Cons
The Possibility of A Minority Party
Proportional Representation Of Minorities
Reparation of Minorities – An Ultimatum
Abbreviations
Preface
While recapping my life story, like other thinkers, I thought much about what I could’ve done differently? I’m content with what I have personally achieved, and I know my success came at the cost of defying my parents, but they were happy at the end. As for the country I was born in, Bangladesh called East Pakistan during the time this story was taking place, I have many regrets and sorrows. Perhaps the worst was the assassination of our freedom fighting leader while the perpetrators walked free. I escaped the country, and one could call me selfish. But eventually to my greatest satisfaction, I and my family had done my fair share of struggles for the freedom.
While writing this book, I was constantly facing my inner critics: Who are you tell a story and who would care to read your story? Ultimately, however, it wasn’t even that I had the moral authority of telling at least my own story as I wished but the pure human tragedies that I witnessed compelled me to do so.
This is a history written by one individual on behalf of millions who didn’t have the chance to live to tell the story or are not as privileged as me to write it. Million Hindus migrated to India due to oppressive rules and regulations orchestrated by the Pakistani military since 1947. In contrast, not so many Muslims from India migrated to Pakistan though Pakistan was created for Muslims only leaving more than its own population in India. Because India had a different vision of secularism and democracy – a country for all. Yes, there were many race-related events in India, but all were reactionary and there had never been documented government policies or regulations in support of that. There had never been a consistent and systematic story of the Bangladesh revolution and its aftermath events. Lately, Bangladesh has been using the same playbook Pakistan used against its minorities – brain washing two or three generations of Bangladeshi Muslims against Hindus and India. A depressing tale with the latest look of the society must be told for general awareness and that has been my attempt in the book.
I was just an unknown kid from an island with a big dream and vision with little knowledge of political and social maneuver. I was a kid with analytical mind. I was a kid with full of curiosities. I was a kid with fairness to all as guided by my father doctor. I was a kid well liked in the island, college, and professional life. I was a technocrat with a vision that helped me to write many technical articles including a book, ‘Autonomous and Integrated Parking and Transportation Services’.
I was also proud when I saw the President Biden’s approved infrastructure bill addressed many ideas of the book for a visionary transportation system. I was also behind the implementation of the first North Carolina information Superhighway for distance learning and telemedicine in 1990. The infrastructure of such broadband network connected the whole world during Covid crisis to go virtual for all daily life including education, connecting friends, and running business. It was fulfilling to think where we had been without such worldwide interconnection in the 21 st century during covid epidemic when all businesses including education were conducted by Zoom. I was also active in children sports club – Raleigh Swimming Association (RSA). I was a board member of Rosemont Homeowners Association (HOA). I retired in 2017 and became active in politics. I was appointed board member twice by the North Carolina Governor, Mr. Cooper, the board of science, technology, and Innovation (BSTI); and the board of agriculture finance authority (NCAFA). I came to know many state as well as federal USA politicians. Politics, though not always fair, are very important for an influence of your thought in the policy implementation. Figure below shows author’s picture with th