Under Such a Sheltering Sky - Book Talk with Sarmila

Under Such a Sheltering Sky(A 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War story)A book talk with Sarmila Bose (author)Hosted by Dr Fatima Rajina
6.30 - 8.30 pm, 25 March 2025
Lab 1a, Idea Store Whitechapel
321 Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1BU
Organised by Brick Lane Circle
The year is 1971. After decades of military rule, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his Awami League have won a landslide victory in the first election based on universal franchise in Pakistan. But the euphoria is short-lived. Instead of handing over power to the winner, the military regime cracks down on the Eastern wing of the country to crush the movement for the liberation of Bangladesh. A brutal conflict follows, pitting West against East, turning neighbours against each other, dividing friends and families, and igniting war between India and Pakistan.
Two young men find themselves caught up in the tumultuous events of that year, on opposite sides of the war. One is battling to preserve the unity of Pakistan, the other is fighting for an independent Bangladesh. Their paths cross in unpredictable ways in the chaos of war. As first one side and then the other gains the upper hand, at critical moments each man would hold the other’s life in his hands. What would they do? And what are the consequences of the choices they make?
Sarmila is a lawyer who was a journalist and academic for many years before practising law. One of her books is ‘Dead Reckoning: Memories of the 1971 Bangladesh War’ (2011), which chronicled several events during the war based on eye witness accounts and field research. While conducting that research she came to know of an extraordinary human story in which the war had entwined the lives of a Bangladeshi freedom fighter and a Pakistani army officer. She continued to research the story for many years until she obtained first-hand accounts from both the protagonists. ‘Under Such a Sheltering Sky’ is her first novella, based on that true story.
Dr Fatima Rajina is a Senior Legacy in Action Research Fellow at the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre at De Montfort University. She studied PhD at the Centre of Islamic Studies, SOAS, University of London. Fatima’s work looks at British Bangladeshi Muslims and their changing identifications and perceptions of dress and language. She specialises on the Bangladeshi community in the UK, focusing on Tower Hamlets, Luton and Birmingham. Her book, British Bangladesh Muslims in the East End: The Changing Landscape of Dress and Language, was recently published by the Manchester University Press.

Host or Publisher By Idea Pathok and Brick Lane Circle