‘A History of Bangladesh’ by Willem Van Schendel Cambridge University press, Cambridge, 2009 Authors Biography pp. 347, ISBN 978 0 521 679749 Dr. Afrose Sultana Chamon is an Associate Professor of the Department of Soil, Water and DOI: 10.3329/jbayr.v1i1.6952 Environment, University of Dhaka. She secured 1st class in both her B.Sc (Hons) and M.Sc from the Department of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka (DU). She has done her Ph.D from ‘A History of Bangladesh’ written by famous author Willem van Schendel is a the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria. She has narrative that moves about the amazing twists and that have produced about 27 research publications in her credit. She is the former Scientific Officer of Aftab Bahumukhi contemporary Bangladesh Society. In this book , the author tried to show, how to (multipurpose) Farm Ltd. (Agri. Div.), Bhagalpur, Bajitpur, Kishoregonj. She has also worked as write a history poverty stricken and overpopulated Bangladesh, a country that after research and teaching assistant in the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences the British left India in 1947 first became (east) Pakistan and officially exists only (BOKU), Vienna, Austria since 1971. In its five parts that covers twenty two chapters, the book depicts a Anna Maria Tammaro is Researcher at University of Parma (IT), Italian Coordinator of the brief and selective history of Bangladesh. International Master in Library and Information Studies (by distance) and of the Erasmus Mundus In part I, van Schendel expands on Richard Eaton’s idea of Bengal as a region of Master DILL. Main issues in teaching and research: Digital Library, Electronic publishing, Learning and Libraries, Internationalization and Quality Assurance. She is serving as Chair, IFLA Education and ‘multiple frontiers’ such as land-water frontier (north-south), the ancient cultural Training Section. She is also Board member of EUCLID. ‘Sanskritic’ frotier (west- east), the agrarian, state, Islamic and Bengali language frontiers etc. Part II describes how, over the last few centuries, these age old tends ATM Shamsuzzoha has been working as lecturer in the Department of Islamic History and Culture, (developing its distinct identity) encountered middle-range ones, especially foreign University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He secured First class First position both in B.A (hons) and M.A (British) rule and its lasting effects, colonial conflicts, partition of Bengal during the programme. He achieved the ‘Brigadier Doctor Yunus Dewan Gold Medal’ for his outstanding performance in M.A programme. He has presented several papers at various national seminars and foreign role. Almost two thirds of the book (part III-V) concerns the recent ‘high conferences. He has 04 papers in his credit. His research interest goes to socio-economic and politics’ of famine of 1943, the partition of British India, the Bangladesh liberation cultural history of Bengal and India as well as Muslim theology and architecture. war, the creation of the national cultures of, consecutively, ‘Bengaliness’ and ‘Bangladeshiness’, the tense relationship with India, military role (1975-1990), cold Hamidul Islam is working as Lecturer in the Department of Islamic History & Culture, Shahzadpur war politics and so on. Govt. College, Sirajgong. He secured First class First position in M.A programme (Group C). He achieved ‘Dr. Ayesha Begum Gold Medal’ for his outstanding performance in M.A programme. He What I find missing in part I of the book, however, is a specific discussion of what has presented several papers at various national seminars and conferences. can be labeled the ‘imperial intellectual frontier’, which since the 19th century undeniably has been the most crucial frontier. Besides, on the whole, the author Haseeb Ahmad Piracha is Deputy Chief Librarian, Punjab University Library, University of the does not explain how Bengalis created a liberal public sphere, in which processes of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. He has been IFLA Scholar and did a diploma from Asian Institute of identity formation, rationalization and intellectual interaction between metropolis Technology, Bangkok in library automation. He completed projects in Qatar and also in British and colony come together. In writing this book, Van Schendel was very much Council. His core interest is in digital libraries. He established Information Resource Centre in Punjab selective in depicting the chronological development of Bangladesh highly University Library which provides online SDI service to researchers. He also supervises digital resources of Punjab University. Haseeb Ahmad is Erasmus Mundus Scholar 2009-2011 and is in the depending on secondary data. In some cases, he failed to link up cultural process of completing his Master’s in Digital Library Learning. development of Bangladesh. In conclusion, the author deserves the appreciation for using easily understandable Md. Munsur Rahman, Professor, Institute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University language in writing the book. Readers intended to know brief and selective history of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka. His research fields are river channel processes, erosion management, ecosystem services of river and floodplain systems, and impact of climate of Bangladesh can go through this book. change on river and floodplain morphology, sediment transport, Bridge hydraulics. His general research interests can be grouped into River channel processes; River training and bank protection; Ecosystem services of river and floodplain system, Indigenous approach on river and floodplain Reviewed by Mustafa Murshed, Assistannt Director, Bangladesh Civil Service management; Bridge hydraulics and related problems. He has about 40 technical publications in Administration Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh these research areas, with many papers published in top international, peer-review journals. Recently, he is doing research for the development of low cost method for river erosion disaster mitigation through alluvial channel stabilization. Dr. Md. Nadiruzzaman Mondol is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka. Mondol secured 1st class in both his B.Sc (Hons) and M.Sc from the department of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka (DU). He has done his Ph.D

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