A History of Bangladesh (2020)

Bangladesh is a new name for an old land whose history is little known to the wider world. A country chiefly famous in the West for media images of poverty, underdevelopment, and natural disasters, Bangladesh did not exist as an independent state until 1971. Willem van Schendel's history reveals the country's vibrant, colourful past and its diverse culture as it navigates the extraordinary twists and turns that have created modern Bangladesh. The story begins with the early geological history of the delta which has decisively shaped Bangladesh society. The narrative then moves chronologically through the era of colonial rule, the partition of Bengal, the war with Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh as an independent state. In so doing, it reveals the forces that have made Bangladesh what it is today. This is an eloquent introduction to a fascinating country and its resilient and inventive people. Through the past to the present: a leading scholar traces Bengal's history to explain modern Bangladesh Includes aids for students such as a chronology, biographies of key political figures, a glossary and maps Features over 110 images that bring Bangladesh to life Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

The Diplomat, 2021

Contributions to Indian Sociology, 2020

David Lewis and Willem van Schendel, 'Rethinking the Bangladesh State,' Contributions to Indian Sociology, 54:2 (2020), 306–323. The study of the Bangladesh state continues to be a path less travelled for scholars of South Asia. The articles in this special issue aim to offer fresh perspectives based on recent ethnographic work on a variety of aspects of the state by new young national and international scholars. Overall, there is a pressing need to pay closer attention to the state and to think about it in new ways, and in this brief concluding article, we offer some thoughts on where we are and some pointers towards where we may need to go. While there are many strengths to the small quantity of literature that exists on this theme, there are also some important limitations.

Nadi o Bhoo Prakriti, 2024

This exposition investigates the set of experiences and current political circumstance of Bangladesh, zeroing in on its excursion from the Freedom Battle of 1971 to the current day. It starts by relating the penances made during the Freedom War, which prompted the country's autonomy from Pakistan. The paper features the expectations for a vote based, just, and serene Bangladesh that rose up out of this battle, yet in addition looks at how the nation has confronted political precariousness, viciousness, and the ascent of fundamentalist powers as of late. The impact of global powers, especially the US, is examined with regards to political turmoil and unfamiliar intercession. The exposition likewise digs into the political profession of Sheik Hasina, Bangladesh's most memorable female head of the state, and the difficulties her administration confronted, including defilement, resistance developments, and outside pressures. The potential for a political commotion, similar to the Middle Easterner Spring, is considered as a danger to the nation's strength. At last, the paper considers the job of writing and culture in keeping up with the soul of the Freedom War, recommending that the country's future depends on a restoration of the upsides of autonomy, solidarity, and majority rule standards. The exposition closes by encouraging individuals of Bangladesh to reconnect with the goals of their freedom battle to defeat present difficulties and move towards a prosperous future.

Contemporary South Asia, 2024

This edited volume by Sreeradha Datta is an anthology of thirteen chapters and three essays (Prologue, Introduction and Epilogue) with a foreword by C. Raja Mohan. The volume aims to explore Bangladesh’s upward journey since independence, with a particular focus on the adept foreign policy. It illustrates the scenario of Bangladesh’s tactical positioning in the fast-changing social, economic and geopolitical world.

Critical Asian Studies, 55:1 (March), 105-135, 2023

A vast literature analyzes how Bengali identities developed in colonial India. This article steps away from both celebratory approaches and a focus on the colonial period. Instead, it explores how non-Bengalis increasingly challenged Bengali superiority in more recent times. As the colonial incarnation of a genteel Bengaliness lost its bearings and split into competing territorial manifestations in East Pakistan (later Bangladesh) and India, it encountered rising hostility and developed both assertive and timid configurations. This article offers an exploratory overview of how various groups of non-Bengalis have been rebuffing Bengali dominance by means of cultural distancing, graphic resistance, the ideology of indigeneity, insurgency, and the legal and military force of postcolonial states.

Journal of Asiatic Society for Social Science Research, 2022

This paper aims to trace the events leading up to the liberation of East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. The principal argument of the paper is the issue of identity and how it plays a role in influencing the political climate of a newly independent nation. The paper analyzes the events leading upto the first democratic elections in Pakistan and how it culminated into the 1971 Indo-Pak war which eventually led to the creation of the newly independent nation of Bangladesh. This paper explains the philosophical basis of partition which carved out Pakistan on religious basis, i.e. the two nation theory and how religion ceased to serve as a primary identity post partition. The paper analyzes the chief differences between Urdu and Bengali language as a whole and the idea of purity. The imposition of Urdu as the national language of Pakistan in 1952 led to the reactionary movement of Bengali nationalism, not unlike the one caused by Lord Curzon via the partition of Bengal in 1905. The paper also analyzes the role played by the Indian government and the motivation behind military intervention in the liberation of Bangladesh. The paper finally attempts to analyze how a country formed on communal basis dismantled due to linguistic differences.

This paper aims to describe the role of India, the biggest neighbor of Bangladesh, and the outmost support of the Soviet Union in the emergence of Bangladesh as an Independent State. The paper describes the background of the Bangladesh’s Liberation war in 1971. The political situation in East Pakistan just before the crisis is described in details, especially the results of general elections which were held in December 1970. A central part of the article is dedicated to the role of India and the contribution of Indian people, government and armed forces. Almost 10 million men and women were forced to leave Bangladesh and entered various states of India like West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where they were accommodated as refugees. The personal implication of Indira Gandhi was very high, she traveled around the world to gather support for the Bangladesh cause. India spent thousand of rupees for the liberation war of Bangladesh; but also sacrificed the lives of its officers and soldiers. Moreover, the paper touches upon the USSR’s involvement into the Liberation war of Bangladesh in context of Soviet-American rivalry during cold war.