The Boy Refugee - Khawaja Azimuddin, MD
I always find it interesting how we, as people in general, decide what is worthy of making it into our general history education and what isn’t. I’ve always counted on books, especially memoirs, to learn more about different places in the world in general, and The Boy Refugee is one of those books. Up until a few years ago I can honestly say that I was quite ignorant about the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the war which led to the creation of Bangladesh. Then I read a couple of novels set in that time which revealed to me just how brutal it had been, and also how little it is talked about today. The Boy Refugee, by Khawaja Azimuddin, MD, takes place during this time, and is a personal journey of a young boy’s escape from Bangladesh with his family into a refugee camp in India, and then finally their journey to freedom in Pakistan. It is a good resource for anyone who is interested in knowing more about this war and its aftermath!
The author does a great job blending historical facts and his own personal experience together, which provides the reader with an overview of both the war itself, the plights of all people involved, and the author’s life through his own eyes. The incomprehension and fear of what lies ahead is palpable in the novel, and I really liked how well the author did in maintaining his younger self’s voice. We really read about Khawaja Azimuddin’s experiences as he lived them.
I burst into tears at the end of the book - I wanted so much for them all to end up being OK, and to have found a new home, and was happy to see that despite all of the hardships the family endured they ended up thriving once they were released from the refugee camp and able to find their feet again in Pakistan. However, learning about the plight of the many Biharis that were never able to leave Bangladesh made me very sad. Like so many refugee populations in the world, they seemed to have been forgotten by us all. I am glad that I had the opportunity to learn more about how Bangladesh was born, and want to learn more. I commend the author on his transparency and the way he makes sure that his memoir discusses the atrocities that were committed by both Bengalis and Biharis against each other.
Highly recommended read!