By Santanu Ganguly, New Delhi: Renowned photographer Raghu Rai’s latest book, Bangladesh: The Price of Freedom was launched by His Excellency Tariq Ahmad Karim, High Commissioner of Bangladesh in India, at an impressive function at the India International Centre, New Delhi on February 19, 2013. Lt Gen. (Retd) J.F.R. Jacob who was the Chief of Staff, Eastern Command at the time of the Liberation War of Bangladesh, was the guest of honour on the occasion.
Published by Niyogi Books and dedicated to the people of Bangladesh and the Indian Armed Forces for their sacrifices, this pictorial book focusses on the brutality of the Pakistani army against their Bengali brothers and narrates the stories of horror and brutality unleashed at that time. “A whole new generation’s fabric stood brutalized,” says the author.
Raghu Rai’s camera focusses on a deluge of over ten million Bengali refugees that arrived in India. Inside Bangladesh, young men, ready to fight the oppressor, picked up rifles. As the Pakistan Air Force bombed some of the airports bordering Bangladesh, it was all-out war. Raghu Rai drove in with the first column that headed the attack, towards Khulna through Jessore Road. He photographed some of the wounded soldiers being taken away. The war ended on 16 December 1971 with the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani soldiers.
The author flew into Dhaka in an army helicopter to catch the jubilation and humiliation of victory and surrender, all of which is recorded in the book.
Narrating the happenings Lt Gen. J.F.R. Jacob said that they were given orders to move into Bangladesh in April, 1971. Logistics were put into place. 30,000 tonnes of equipment and ammunition were moved to Tripura and 7,000 tonnes to Tura. Bridges were repaired. The war actually started on 22nd November and General Yahya Khan bombed India’s fields on 3rd December.
Lt Gen. J.F.R. Jacob recalled that the Indian Army gathered outside Dhaka from 3rd to 13th December. While international efforts were on to bring about a ceasefire, he went to Dhaka with a surrender document for General Niazi that he had typed on his own typewriter. He arrived at Niazi’s headquarters and read out the Instrument of Surrender. Gen. Niazi was taken aback. He was given thirty minutes to think it over, failing which no guarantee for security of the Pakistani army personnel and their families could be extended.
After returning he saw the document on the table. Gen. Jacob asked Niazi thrice to sign and when he got no answer, he said, “I take your silence as acceptance”.
Raghu Rai has been a photo journalist since 1965. In 1977, he was nominated by the legendary photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson to the world’s most prestigious photographer’s cooperative Magnum photos. His work has appeared in International publications such as Time, The New York Times, Sunday Times, National Geographic, GEO, New Yorker and others.
He has been exhibiting in major cities throughout the world for the last thirty years and has won numerous awards. Twenty-five of his photographs are in the permanent collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. Rai has published more than thirty books of his photographs and is the recipient of one of the country’s highest civilian award—the Padma Shri. He has also appeared three times on the jury for the World Photo Contest.
Niyogi Books has, in a short span of time, established itself as a publisher of fine illustrated books. Starting out in 2004, it has about 200 books on its active list. Niyogi Books is recognized for its high-quality illustrated books on a range of subjects from art and photography to heritage, culture and history of South Asia. These books have won several awards and prizes including those from the Federation of Indian Publishers.
Some of its books have been shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize and the Vodafone-Crossword Book Award.
Bangladesh: The Price of Freedom
ISBN: 978-93-81523-69-8
Pages: 116
Photographs: 91
Hardbound with dust jacket
Price: Rs 1495
 |
| ‘Bangladesh: The Price of Freedom’ Book Launch |
Raghu Rai’s camera focusses on a deluge of over ten million Bengali refugees that arrived in India. Inside Bangladesh, young men, ready to fight the oppressor, picked up rifles. As the Pakistan Air Force bombed some of the airports bordering Bangladesh, it was all-out war. Raghu Rai drove in with the first column that headed the attack, towards Khulna through Jessore Road. He photographed some of the wounded soldiers being taken away. The war ended on 16 December 1971 with the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani soldiers.
The author flew into Dhaka in an army helicopter to catch the jubilation and humiliation of victory and surrender, all of which is recorded in the book.
Narrating the happenings Lt Gen. J.F.R. Jacob said that they were given orders to move into Bangladesh in April, 1971. Logistics were put into place. 30,000 tonnes of equipment and ammunition were moved to Tripura and 7,000 tonnes to Tura. Bridges were repaired. The war actually started on 22nd November and General Yahya Khan bombed India’s fields on 3rd December.
Lt Gen. J.F.R. Jacob recalled that the Indian Army gathered outside Dhaka from 3rd to 13th December. While international efforts were on to bring about a ceasefire, he went to Dhaka with a surrender document for General Niazi that he had typed on his own typewriter. He arrived at Niazi’s headquarters and read out the Instrument of Surrender. Gen. Niazi was taken aback. He was given thirty minutes to think it over, failing which no guarantee for security of the Pakistani army personnel and their families could be extended.
After returning he saw the document on the table. Gen. Jacob asked Niazi thrice to sign and when he got no answer, he said, “I take your silence as acceptance”.
Raghu Rai has been a photo journalist since 1965. In 1977, he was nominated by the legendary photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson to the world’s most prestigious photographer’s cooperative Magnum photos. His work has appeared in International publications such as Time, The New York Times, Sunday Times, National Geographic, GEO, New Yorker and others.
He has been exhibiting in major cities throughout the world for the last thirty years and has won numerous awards. Twenty-five of his photographs are in the permanent collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. Rai has published more than thirty books of his photographs and is the recipient of one of the country’s highest civilian award—the Padma Shri. He has also appeared three times on the jury for the World Photo Contest.
Niyogi Books has, in a short span of time, established itself as a publisher of fine illustrated books. Starting out in 2004, it has about 200 books on its active list. Niyogi Books is recognized for its high-quality illustrated books on a range of subjects from art and photography to heritage, culture and history of South Asia. These books have won several awards and prizes including those from the Federation of Indian Publishers.
Some of its books have been shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize and the Vodafone-Crossword Book Award.
Bangladesh: The Price of Freedom
ISBN: 978-93-81523-69-8
Pages: 116
Photographs: 91
Hardbound with dust jacket
Price: Rs 1495
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