On 16th December 1971, a new nation was born. Bangladesh, literally meaning the 'country (or land) of Bengal', came into being with a declaration of independence following nine months of liberation war. So, on 16th December 2021, the 'land of Bengal' will be celebrating its 50th Victory Day and the birth of its nation. Proud Bangladeshis from all walks of life both in the country and right across the world will come together to commemorate the occasion. It will no doubt be a time of reflection, remembrance and gratitude for the many people who lost their lives but there will also be those who wish to look forward reflecting on how far the country has come and what the future holds.
The initiator of this book A K M Shahidul Islam grew up in Bangladesh but now lives in France and like many proud Bangladeshis wanted to do something to commemorate our 50th Victory Day. Mr Islam was a Tour Guide whilst studying in Dhaka for four years from 2010 to 2014. During this time, he had the opportunity to meet hundreds of guests in Bangladesh and to travel with them to all corners of Bangladesh many times. Mr Islam made lots of friends with people from different countries and they are all still in touch.
To celebrate the happy moment together with Bangladeshi, Mr Islam invited his friends to share their memories of Bangladesh and its people to honour and give back to a community who offered them the best hospitality while they were at their beautiful homeland. Today, the patchwork pieces of a single bonding with friends met on the way, come together to create a rich quilt made of stories, images, emotions and vibrations. We are all proud to present you today the results of our collaboration. The 'Bangladesh@50: Through the Lens of Our Global Friends' book project consists of photographs and words that beautifully capture some unique perspectives on Bangladesh.
Our memories of the country and its people are still alive today and this is strongly reflected in our short stories. These stories have all been written with love for Bangladesh and the very spirit of the book is aimed at connecting people in Bangladesh with each of the visitors.
What's really interesting has been to note both the similarities and differences between the perspectives. People may have travelled to the same physical locations in Bangladesh, but their interpretation will be unique to them. In some ways, however, these unique individual experiences combine to present a complete picture of the experience of the country from the point of view of a visitor to Bangladesh.
The book is available to purchase online on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing worldwide and 50% of any proceeds will be used to promote selected cultural and heritage projects in Bangladesh. First and foremost, this is a project to commemorate the birth of Bangladesh. But if we can use it as a vehicle to give back, then that's great too but the main aim is to capture a unique perspective on Bangladesh to mark the 50th Victory Day event by bringing people together and making it available to all Bangladeshis and interested parties across the world. And at a time when separation and division increasingly threaten to define us, a project that unites us rather than divides us and a unique invitation to open up to different perspectives could just be the tonic that we all need right now.