History proceeds on its own, and for most of us, we don't find it interesting to peruse through texts to find out what happened to distant people in distant times. That leaves the rest of us who watch history from far away like a web series as mere observers, with a strange feeling of helplessness. To me, however, history is a continuous tale 鈥� has various narratives and counter-narratives 鈥� and that's the fun of it. Mohiuddin Ahmad's books offer just that opportunity. He takes a fact-based approach to history by including multiple perspectives, use of previous literature and archive files, and presenting it all using his easy-to-follow pleasantly sober writing style. For many of us, including myself, his books are the stepping stone to our entwined past. Ahmad carefully keeps aside his personal opinions and presents a verifiable account of happenings. He is the definitive contemporary writer attempting to craft a tale of Bangladesh that is both trustworthy and widely accepted by readers. This time, Mohiuddin Ahmad takes on the gruesome task to entangle the 'mystery' of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region in his latest published title, Parbotto Chattogram: Shantibahini Zia Hotya Monjur Khun. The book begins with the prologue of CHT problems, and covers from the colonial era till the 鈥�97 Peace Accord. Ahmad introduces readers to the pivotal players in the indigenous peoples鈥� struggle for self-determination. The first-gen revolutionaries of the 鈥�70s 鈥� leading the movement Manabendra Narayan Larma and Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known as the Larma Brothers 鈥� institutionalized the idea of Jumma Nationalism by forming Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS) and their military wing Shanti Bahini. The book follows these key catalysts and those who came after them throughout the 鈥�70s till the 鈥�90s. This creates a more engaging historical tale that keeps the readers hooked. Ahmad attempts to emphasize on both sides of the conflict 鈥� the civic movement turned into a war of liberation for the Jumma people and the Government of Bangladesh identifying this as an insurgent uprising and the military finding itself in an open confrontation. His most used source of information is interviews with the people who were at the center of the conflict. Besides, he uses a lot of extractions from books and articles by the leaders of the Jumma movement and the military personnel commanding the counter-insurgency operation. Moreover, he manages to include a lot of official documents from the JSS party that reveal the party鈥檚 power and authority in that region. A particular person leaves a large footprint in the middle chapters 鈥� Salim Samad, a Dhaka-based journalist, then working for the New Nation magazine who was the first Bengali journalist to visit the CHT. His articles brought the spotlight, which was totally non-existent in the national media scene, on the ongoing conflict. Ahmad incorporated a lot from Samad鈥檚 first-hand account which helps to understand the otherwise opaque interpersonal dynamics. Interviewing Samad allowed Ahmad to create a detailed portrayal of the inner workings of Shanti Bahini and the regional military apparatus of that era. Also, as a bonus, the book slightly covers the assassination of President Zia and the murder of Major General Monjur. This is only included to demonstrate the complicated national political landscape and its consequence on the CHT conflict. Here the book鈥檚 subtitle can cause a little confusion. One will be disappointed if they brought the book only to read about these events. In the preface, Ahmad writes about his personal experience with the region and its people. A trip from his university days to CHT, later writing about the Bengali transmigration and involvement with international development works 鈥� all that led to the making of this book after so many years. The outcome, Parbotto Chattogram: Shantibahini Zia Hotya Monjur Khun, will serve as the authoritative text that will challenge many to think critically of the everlasting conflict going on with the people and the government in CHT. In doing this, the book鈥檚 biggest accomplishment would be bringing people together in a meaningful way that may lead to a sustainable solution.
The writer painted a picture of the crisis that has plagued CHT since the inception of Bangladesh. Informative book with interviews & personal experiences of key players.