O religious, and o secularist. Both sides will die and die. But you will never understand: From Shahbag to Shapla, you are being used by others. The pied piper of deep politics, the puppet-master, will play his game of death. Continue reading #SOSBangladesh: Who is Behind Deep Politics?
লাতিন ও বাংলা উপন্যাস: আত্মের হদিস কিংবা উপন্যাসে আদমসুরতের নকশা
ফারুক ওয়াসিফ
যে জগতের গিঁট ছিঁড়ে গেছে, যার মন থেকে মুছে গেছে দুর্ধর্ষ সব কল্পনা, যে হারিয়ে ফেলেছে স্বপ্নজননক্ষমতা, সেই জগতে মার্কেসের মতো কথাকারেরা ফিরিয়ে আনলেন পুরাণপ্রতি কল্পনা৷ Continue reading “Remembering Garcia Marquez: Latin & Bengali novel, finding the self, or the map of the human apparition”
Justice Habibur Rahman (1928-2014)
by Faruk Wasif, translated by Nadine Murshid for AlalODulal.org
Let people judge Justice Habibur Rahman. They have his writings to judge him by. I can only think of the last time I saw him. It was December 23, 2013 at his residence. When he saw me he cried ‘Ki hain’ (What’s up!), as he paced his roof. That’s how he was. Continue reading “Justice Habibur Rahman (1928-2014)”
“Did that girl and her darling little baby both jump into the cold and foggy Bhairab river that night? Her sister, her brother, her neighbors, all of them?”
Continue reading “If Hindus burn, Bangladesh burns”
“So our old freedom fighter wanders the streets. He will go to the wrong meeting, the wrong gathering, the endless newspaper offices. Suddenly he will fly into a rage at a tea shop and start screaming…The more you travel downwards in our classist society, the more this hate [for war criminals], this obstinate rage. And in the upper echelons, only honey and unity.” Continue reading “Our old freedom fighter wanders the streets”
“Become Human Again”
By Faruk Wasif for Prothom Alo, Translated by Humayun Kabir for AlalODulal.org
In this damned country life cannot sustain. In this land of death justice also cannot live. Continue reading “Faruk Wasif: “Become Human Again””
Where is the Antidote to Communalism?
by Faruk Wasif, translated by Prof Farida Khan for AlalODulal
As a Muslim nation, the state of Bangladesh can never grant freedom to Hindus. Neither can it give full citizenship rights to Muslims. The latter can marry four times in the country but they cannot receive what we could call autonomy of citizenship. In this nation, Hindus will be subject to Hindu Inheritance laws but they will be shunned from the benefits of Secular Law. This type of nation does not recognize a citizen of Bangladesh; it only recognizes Hindus and Muslims. Continue reading “Where is the Antidote to Communalism?”
“With every hartal, every police action, I see sticks falling on Majed Ali’s back. Leaders, you have options. The Majed Alis of Bangladesh don’t. They will not stop, so please, you must!” Continue reading “I see sticks falling on Majed Ali’s back”
“’Second Home’: The Sahibs of Begam Para and the Turtles that Sell the Country”
by Faruk Wasif for Prothom Alo, translated for AlalODulal.org by Nusrat Chowdhury [please do not reproduce w/o permission]
If one asked which animal carries its own home on its back, the answers would be, 1. a turtle; 2. a Chinese farmer; and, 3. a few thousand wealthy Bangladeshis. Continue reading “Faruk Wasif: The Sahibs of Begum Para and the turtles that sell the country”
Running barefoot through the city of Barbie liberty and sexy grenades
by Faruk Wasif, translated from Bengali by Nayma Qayum for AlalODulal.org
In the morning I saw four teenagers on the pavement across the street from Mohammadpur Central College. They wore the usual jobba-tupi, but no footwear. Those, they had lost in Motijheel, and could not buy another pair. Continue reading “Running barefoot through the city of Barbie liberty and sexy grenades”
After burning our own house for ten years, we will arrange the mortuary
by Faruk Wasif, Translated by AlalODulal.org
Durmukhs say, Hefazat and Shahbag are government’s right hand left hand. Right hand always hits left hand. But why does the body get pleasure from breaking both hands? Why is the government laughing? Continue reading “Faruk Wasif: After burning our own house for ten years, we will arrange the mortuary.”
Now will you have time? Now will you finally listen?
by Faruk Wasif, Translated from Bengali for AlalODulal.org by Tibra Ali
We are not slave-owners, we are a manager country of slavery. Our labour force is slave labour, our farmers are debt slaves and serfs. The big capitals exploit the labour in their own countries while they plunder the labour from countries like ours. Our wealth, natural resources and manpower; Our bodies, language and history, all of it is subservient to small capitals working for big capitals. This international family of big and little brothers is called imperialism.
Continue reading “Faruk Wasif: Now will you have time? Now will you finally listen?”
The Writer in Front of Shahbag
By Faruk Wasif. Translated by Tibra Ali for AlalODulal.org.
Hasnat Abdul Hye has proved that deep down he too is a lecherous and misogynist writer Rosu Khan. Through the murder of Rabbi bhai’s teenager son Towki we witnessed the brutal suppression of the innocence of our time. Hasnat Abdul Hye’s short story is then the rape of the innocence of the Shahbag movement. Continue reading “Faruk Wasif: The Writer in Front of Shahbag”
If you come to kill, I will say, I too am Hindu, I too am Minority, the land that is burning is my country
by Faruk Wasif, translated from Bengali by AlalODulal.org
When the Tamil massacres were happening, we came to shahbag with slogans “we are all Tamil.” When the Rohingya massacres happened, we protested that too. We protested killings in Iraq, we said we were Kashmiri when youth were being killed in Kashmir. Bu what about today?
Continue reading “If you come to kill, I will say, I too am Hindu”
We must keep the Shahbag movement outside of the fyasad of belief-vs.-atheism. We have to keep it free of political parties. We have to convert the war cry of revenge into the awakening cry of resistance. We have to keep the door open for all people to join us. In front is a long and difficult path. Shaking the country for ten days is possible, but to change the country takes years. Our voices are now liberated with the promise of trying war criminals and a relief from a religiously fascist society. This cannot be ignored. The resounding “no” to traditional political parties and their practitioners cannot become “yes” ever again. It’s time to change the rules of the game.
My first teacher was a cowherd. Another teacher gave up trousers, put on a lungi, and did farming- so I heard. I don’t have the courage to ask, the teacher that was killed by police beating today– who was he? Continue reading “Death of a teacher”
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