1971 Resistance, Resilience And Redemption

Major General Md. Sarwar Hossain's '1971 Resistance, Resilience And Redemption' presents a thoroughly researched account of Bangladesh's liberation war. The book examines the political backdrop and geostrategic factors while detailing the military operations, focusing on how Bangladesh forces grew in strength and strategy to achieve victory. It challenges the notion that religion was a stronger unifying force than cultural identity, showing how economic, political and geographical differences between East and West Pakistan led to the rise of Bengali nationalism. When Pakistan responded to the 1970 election results with military action instead of transferring power, Bengali soldiers rebelled and civilians fled to India in massive numbers. The youth among these refugees transformed into guerrilla fighters, and eventually conventional forces combined with unconventional tactics to defeat the powerful Pakistani army, forcing their surrender.