Major General Md. Sarwar Hossain, 1971: Resistance
Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 63(1), 2018, pp. 135-138 Book Review Major General Md. Sarwar Hossain BSP, SGP, ndc, hdmc, psc, PhD, 1971: Resistance, Resilience and Redemption, Published by Bangla Academy, Dhaka 2018, Pages: 490, Price: Tk. 1500, ISBN: 984-07-5707-5 The 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh has drawn the attention of scholars across the globe. Books and research articles have delved deep into the events of that fateful year and shed new insights on the conflict, genocide, sexual violence and the humanitarian tragedy which accompanied the war. In spite of a rich outpouring of literature of different aspects of the conflict, a lacuna existed on the tactical and operational aspects of the war until now. Major General Md Sarwar Hossain’s book 1971: Resistance, Resilience and Redemption is a valuable contribution in filling up this gap. The book has made a tremendous effort to narrate the history of the Liberation War—strategy of resistance by Bengali servicemen, irregular forces and general people; and discuss the blend of conventional and guerrilla war tactics in overall war effort. The book is the product of intense scholarly work, a doctoral research undertaken in the Department of History, University of Dhaka. In author’s own words, this book focuses on “the growth and strategies of Bangladesh forces, its impact on the overall outcome of the war” (p. xvii) in offering a researched account of the 1971 Liberation War to the readers. Among many academic and popular literature on the Liberation War of Bangladesh, a few provide such a rare opportunity to read the strategic account of the event with operational strategies of the actors and tactics of employment of forces.
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