Acclaimation for Bullets of '71
“The book is a must read for the present generation of Bangladesh as it narrates the events leading to the Liberation War and Independence of their country.It is of immense value for other readers as it describes the role played by other countries in the crucial period of the Liberation of Bangladesh and covers various actions taken by the Mukti Bahini against a much stronger and well equipped Pakistan Army.
The book is a tribute to the people of Bangladesh, all the freedom fighters, and especially to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose leadership inspired the Bengali population.”
Lt Gen (Retd) Y M Bammi, PhD, India.
A Veteran of Bangladesh Liberation War1971
“Bullets of ’71; A Freedom Fighter’s Storyenriches our understanding of the liberation of Bangladesh, with its careful description, almost day-by-day, of what Kader Siddiqui’s group did, placed in the context of a balanced yet committed appraisal of the events of 1971. Dr Nabi’s “bottom-up” perspective adds a very valuable piece, often ignored in studies that focus on the international dimensions of the war.”
Philip Oldenburg, author of India, Pakistan, and Democracy: Solving the Puzzle of Divergent Paths
“Even though it is an amazing personal saga, equally fascinating about the book are the political and historical data about a place and an era that were barely on my radar screen. All I really knew about Bangladesh was that it was poor, war-torn country, and it had inspired “Bangla Desh,” a song by Beatle George Harrison, which was released as a charity single after the1971 disasters in Bangladesh. With Ravi Shankar, George Harrison organized a major charity concert, the first of the charity concert genre in support of humanitarian causes. And true to the George Harrison sensibility, Dr. Nabi in his book seemed less eager to talk about his personal trials and tribulations and more intent on relating the effects of the war on his people and the political ramifications.
In his book Dr. Nabi notes that some 10 million people were forced to cross the border into India in 1972 to escape the mass murders, rape and other destruction carried out by the enemies of Bangladesh liberation. The Indian Government tried to, but could not cope with the influx of refugees, who in some cases were forced to take shelter in abandoned drainage pipes in Calcutta. Dr. Nabi was neither mild-mannered nor reticent about blaming top-ranking American officials for failing to act and prevent the atrocities.”
Pam Hersh
Special Writer, The Princeton Packet, NJ, USA
“It has taken decades for us to learn what our parents went through in World War II. Dr. Nuran Nabi takes us to a more recent civilian battlefront sharing his terrifying experience while a university student in a distant land. We should be grateful and read his first person account of Bangladesh’s first days toward independence – from raising the flag to mourning the loss of fellow students. We all share a common bond and Dr. Nabi’s book should be required reading.”
Thomas T. Keating Esq.,
White Plains, New York, USA
“From his vantage point in Tangail, freedom fighter Dr. Nuran Nabi experienced Bangladesh’s liberation war first hand at many levels.
Dr. Nabi meticulously, yet dispassionately documents the horrendous events as they unfolded. As a trusted emissary of the Tangail freedom fighters, Dr. Nabi’s secret conferences with Indian generals make for an intriguing read.
Written excellently, Bullets of ‘71 is the most authentic version of what really transpired in Bangladesh in those dark days of 1971. The book is so poignant and captivating that readers will find it impossible to put it down.”
Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed,
Princeton, NJ, USA
“Dr. Nabi’s book is a rare document of our political history”
The Daily Star
“I was fascinated by the memory and the style of Dr. Nabi’s writing. Both books contain true history. It will definitely educate many people about the true story of the Bangladesh liberation war.”
Anwar-ul Alam Shaheed,
Former Bangladesh Ambassador to Spain
“During the last 40 hours or so, I finished reading both books. That only shows how absorbed I was in going through your writings. Your life and activities are a testament of how the spirit of genuine nationalism and fellow feeling enhance one's courage and ability to even offer their lives in times of need.”
Professor Bilayet Hossain,
Oklahoma, USA
“Bullets of ’71 is a rare document of the Bangladesh Liberation War. As a historical thriller and real life chronicle, this book is a passionate tale of survival.”
Belal Beg,
Journalist and Columnist, Brooklyn, New York
“A Young Leader of the '71 War of Liberation
Bullets of ’71 is a living testimony to an unjust war imposed by a well trained army on unarmed civilians. It also depicts spontaneous uprising of the whole population where people took up arms to defeat the enemy in the shortest possible time in the modern history. Although hundreds of thousands of young people fought to sacrifice their lives, it is the few young people like Nuran Nabi who played pivotal roles in shaping the course of the war towards victory.
As I read the book, it gives me a nostalgic pleasure to recall my association with Dr. Nuran Nabi before and after our War of Liberation! There is no harm to confess today that being junior by only one academic year, I, like many people of the same age group felt envious to discover soon after the war that Nabi Bhai had such glorious contributions in our War of Liberation. However it also became clear that his success arose from an inherent leadership quality, rare for that age, most of us lacked. It is fascinating to see that a young man barely in his twenties, with no recognized uniform, is negotiating with veteran Generals of the Indian Army! Young people should find the book fascinating in that how imposed situations can defy the age barrier in providing leadership.
With the aging of our Freedom Fighter population, authentic firsthand accounts of the war are diminishing fast. Bullets of ’71 will serve to fill up that need. Many thanks are to Nabi Bhai and Mushi Nabi for making the history public.”
Dr. Syeed Ashraf Ahmed
Maryland, USA
“Thank you, Dr. Nabi, for making the effort to translate your books from Bangla, because now this book, translated in English, I feel will be able to reach a much larger audience- whether it be Bangladeshis of this and future generations or individuals of other nationalities and communities. This version, I feel can and should be made available at libraries throughout the US as easily accessible learning and research material.
At the same time, I would like to congratulate Mush Nabi for taking on this vast and definitely difficult endeavor. As you yourself mentioned in your foreword of ‘Bullets of ’71,’ that this was a “frustrating task” namely because you were “unfamiliar with the historic events and cultural nuances,” I congratulate you for taking that leap and overcoming those obstacles.
Growing up, I was fortunate enough, thanks entirely to my parents, especially my mother, to have the opportunity to learn to read and write bangle and participate in cultural activities. But even being familiar with it all, this book for me is a tangible document of Bangladesh’s liberation war history. I know Dr. Nabi mentioned in his introduction that he has merely penned his “personal experiences of the war,” but this book serves as a foundation and reference because I believe that culture is not and should not be limited to language or performing arts but rather it is a part of our everyday lives. Culture is an amalgamation of how we walk, talk, think, behave and live. It is essentially a reflection of who we are. ‘Bullets of ’71’ provides us with the essence of our roots which is significant in shaping our identities.
I feel this happens in two ways. One being our hyphenated identity as Bangladeshi-Americans comes forward because by reading this book, you, the reader, truly experience what it means to be a Bangladeshi, not only because of the tremendous sacrifices, or because of the loss of three million lives or even because of the atrocities of genocide, but rather through the spirit of unity and humanity in the face of such incredibly inhumane circumstances. The second part that comes with the realization and acceptance of the hyphenated identity are awareness, responsibility and accountability. Dr. Nabi’s ‘Bullets of ‘71’ holds us, the heirs to the legacy of our parents, the heirs to the legacy of our brave freedom fighters, and the heirs to the legacy of our nation accountable to its present and future in relation to our past.
Our history, our past, is more relevant now, at this very moment, more than ever. The slogans from ‘52’s Language Movement to ‘71’s liberation war echoed calls for freedom and liberty and 39 years later today, the present slogans call for swift and proper punishment for those same war criminals.
Dr. Nabi’s ‘Bullets of ’71,’ whether via the life lessons of each and every anecdote or through the rich and vividly detailed dialogues and descriptions of people, places and events- awakens, captivates, enriches and inspires its reader, in this case me, to the core of my being. And that motivational aspect and universal appeal of Dr. Nabi’s ‘Bullets of ’71’ that pours out of every page and into the hearts and souls of its reader, is the accomplishment and success of the book and its writers.”
Shemonti Wahed
New York, USA
“From the first few pages, I was captivated by the story. Feeling much like an exciting novel, with each turning page, I was deeply saddened to realize time and time again, that the content before me were true events. These were events that not only affected Dr. Nabi and other freedom fighters, but stories and situations that we’ve ALL learned from, the generation before us.
The content of Dr. Nabi’s book is all too familiar for most Bangladeshis from that time. My father’s family was no different. Though I’ve grown up in New York most of my life, I spent two years in 1992, 93 living at my Grandfather’s house in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh. My Grandfather was part of a generation slightly older than many of you here today. He used to tell his grandchildren the many stories of sharing a room, as roommates with Banghabondhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman as young men in Cadet College.
My Grandfather’s eyes would light up when telling us about the Speech Giving Talents that the Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would have, even as a young man; that he would be able to gather up support from peers and seniors when facing injustices or tackling matters of humanity & principle.
When March 1971 came around, after sustaining several years of injustice from the West Pakistani government, my father Dr. Mansur Khan was a young 17 year old man, responsible for the safety of himself, his mother, my late grand-father, and his 5 sisters, my aunts. Their family was living in Bogra at the time, and my Grandfather instructed them to travel by boat, to Dhaka. My father helped organize all of his family, as my Grandfather was forced to stay back in Bogra to help others in the administration proceed with their next steps.
The journey to Dhaka wasn’t without danger, as my father, Grandmother, and aunts were stopped several times by Pakistani military; and with the graces of Allah, their lives were spared at various checkpoints, both by boat and on land upon reaching Dhaka. A few days after reaching Dhaka, our family received news that their old house in Bogra had been burned down by the military. They made it out JUST in TIME….
The personal stories like these that came back to me as I read about Dr. Nabi’s plight, sacrifices, and leadership at such a critical time for our nation.
The numbers are staggering, over 3 million killed, over hundreds of thousands suffering inhumane war crimes, over 10 million displaced, made prisoners, or made homeless.
Prior to today, most of my peers knew Dr. Nabi as the co-inventor of “Colgate Total” toothpaste technology, one of the most popular products of the late 90s and early millennium. We were all sooo proud to know that a Bangladeshi scientist co-invented something so popular in America.
Hopefully, as time goes on, more of our Bangladeshi youth will recognize Dr. Nabi’s extraordinary work through his book, other works, and lasting legacy.”
Dr. Ivan Khan
New York, USA