“If you think you are powerless, then you are.”
Home to nearly 170 million people spread across a tiny area of just 148,460 square kilometres, Bangladesh is not only the world’s eighth-most populous country but also one of its most densely populated. Bordered by India to the north, west and east and by Myanmar to the southeast, Bangladesh’s modern history begins in the mid-twentieth century where Bengali nationalism and pro-democracy led to the country’s independence. Nevertheless, everything from corruption and climate change to widespread political instability has led to a tumultuous past few decades for Bangladesh, with the latest chapter seeing the toppling of Prime Minister Hasina Wazed and the deaths of hundreds of protests in the ‘Gen Z protests’. If you’re looking to learn more about this fascinating country, join us today at What We Reading for the best Bangladesh books that explore its history, politics, culture and most pressing challenges in 2024.
A History Of Bangladesh – Williem van Schendel
Kicking off our list of the best books about Bangladesh is Willem van Schendel’s A History of Bangladesh. In it, he attempts to recount the history of the country, showcase its vibrant, colourful culture and explain the twists and turns that have led to its state at present.
The story of the history of Bangladesh opens with the early geological history of the delta which has had a profound impact on shaping Bangladeshi society. Van Schendel then charts the era of colonial rule, the partition of Bengal, the conflict for independence against Pakistan and the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent state. A History of Bangladesh remains one of the best Bangladesh books for an introduction on how the country came about, and the extraordinary resilience shown by those who live within its borders.
A Golden Age (Bagla Desh #1) – Tahmima Anam
Set against the back of the Bangladesh War of Independence, Tahmima Anam’s historical fiction book, A Golden Age is a story of passion and revolution, of hope, faith and unexpected heroism. The story follows Rehana Haque as she awakes one morning planning to throw a party for her son and daughter. The roses in her garden are blooming, her children are almost grown and, in the city around her, a fresh feeling of change being in the air is palpable in the wake of recent elections.
Yet, none of the guests at Rehana’s party could have ever foreseen what was about to unfold over the months ahead. Because this is 1971 in East Pakistan, a country on the brink of war. From student protests to the country’s leaders, A Golden Age is one of the most beautiful depictions of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence, told through the eyes of a mother forced to leap from impossible dilemma to impossible dilemma just to keep her family safe.
Brick Lane – Monica Ali
After an arranged marriage to Chanu, a man two decades older than her, Nazneen is taken to London, leaving behind her heart and home in the Bangladeshi village she was born in. From crossing the road without being hit by a car to how she must comfort the naive and disillusioned Chanu, her new world is full of mysteries.
As a good Muslim girl, Nazneen struggles with not questioning why things happen. She submits, as she must, to fate and dutifully devotes herself both to her husband and her daughters. Yet, to her utter amazement, she finds herself being drawn to a handsome young radical. Her passionate affair awakens something new within her, and her old certainties about the world and her place in it are upended in Monica Ali’s Brick Lane, one of the best books about Bangladesh for those looking to learn more about the role religion, status and family have across society.
1971: A Global History Of Bangladesh – Srinath Raghavan
The war of 1971 was the most significant geopolitical event in the Indian subcontinent since its partition in 1947. In a single swoop, it led to the creation of an independent Bangladesh and tilted the balance of power in the region firmly toward India over Pakistan. The Line of Control in Kashmir and its insurgency, the nuclearisation of both powers, the conflicts in Siachen Glacier and Kargil and the many political issues faced by Bangladesh today – all of it can be traced back to nine intense months in 1971.
In his acclaimed history book, 1971, Srinath Raghavan widens the context behind the creation of Bangladesh and shows how a combination of decolonisation, the Cold War and increasing globalisation led to the country’s formation. Raghavan vividly portrays the international cast of players who shaped the origins and outcome of the Bangladesh crisis, simultaneously painting a fascinating picture of the nature of humanitarian crises, how they are managed and the unintended outcomes.
Check Out These Books To Understand India In 2024
The Storm – Arif Anwar
Time is running out for Shahryar. His work visa has expired, and he may soon be forced to leave the United States and return to his home country, Bangladesh. Holding on to the remaining weeks he has left with his American daughter, Shar reflects on his family’s history. It begins in a village in the Bay of Bengal where a poor fisherman, Jamir, and his wife, Honufa, prepare to face a storm the likes of which neither of them has ever experienced before.
Spilling through some of the most tense and significant moments in history, Jamir and Honufa’s story intertwines with other lives ranging from a Japanese pilot fighting in a war he doesn’t understand, to Rahim and Zahira, an affluent couple in Calcutta uprooted to East Pakistan during the partition of India. Arif Anwar’s stunning historical novel The Storm is a sweeping story that interweaves five love stories spread over six decades of Bangladeshi history.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
