MUJIB’S BLUNDERS: The Powers and the Plot behind His Killing

Manash Ghosh

Niyogi Books announced its latest publication, Mujib’s Blunders: The Powers and the Plot behind his Killing  by Manash Ghosh, under its imprint for non-illustrated non-fiction titles, Paper Missile.

Reckoning with the past—a decisive profile of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Focusing on BAKSAL and the authoritarian shift of Bangladesh’s governance, including a detailed critique of the one-party system and suppression of dissent, the book offers a bold reassessment of history, challenging the prevailing narrative of Mujibur’s leadership in post-independence Bangladesh. The book also highlights critical political and strategic missteps that have been glossed over in mainstream historiography, including the rise of nefarious elements who were reabsorbed into the system with disastrous consequences.

Author Manash Ghosh says, ‘Writing an objective history of post-liberation Bangladesh is challenging due to societal polarisation and the fading memories of witnesses. Most individuals from that era are now deceased or suffer from memory loss. However, my preserved notebooks labelled ‘important 1972-73-74’ from my time in Dhaka have been invaluable. These notes contain interviews with key figures and detailed accounts of significant events I witnessed. Additionally, my reporting trips to Dhaka for The Statesman and later as editor of Dainik Statesman after Mujib’s assassination allowed me to closely observe unfolding events and grasp their complexities.’

On publishing the book Trisha De Niyogi, Director and COO, Niyogi Books, says, ‘This book is a bold and unflinching critique of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s post-liberation leadership. With incisive analysis, the author explores how a series of political miscalculations ultimately undermined the dream of a secular, democratic Bangladesh. Tracing Mujib’s shift from inclusive governance to authoritarianism, the narrative lays bare the tragic irony of a liberator’s fall. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the fragile transition from revolution to nation-building, this work challenges us to reflect on the cost of compromised ideals and ignored counsel.’

About the book

The book critically examines several successive blunders committed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after becoming the chief helmsman of Bangladesh. Disregarding warnings of his well-wishers, he appointed pro-Pakistani quislings to key positions in his government and the military, who were later utilised by Bhutto and the Pakistani establishment to exact revenge for the dismemberment of their country and the humiliating surrender in Dhaka.

 Mujib also sidelined figures like Tajuddin Ahmed and other tested comrades who had carried out his instructions to steer the liberation war through difficult days. Despite his secular ideals, he founded an Islamic foundation, which was hijacked by Islamists to promote fundamentalist tenets.

But his most grievous blunder was to launch one-party rule under BAKSAL and in curbing free press, despite Tajuddin’s dire warning that this would lead to conspiratorial politics and endanger him. His desperation to secure Islamabad’s recognition to counter India’s growing influence in Bangladesh ultimately led to his downfall.

About the author

Manash Ghosh graduated from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and joined The Statesman in 1966 as a trainee journalist. His big break came in 1971 when the Bangladesh Liberation War started. He covered it from various battlefields as an embedded journalist at considerable risk to his life. After the war, when Bangladesh became independent, he was posted in Dacca as the paper’s bureau head for three years. He has served in various positions, including as chief of the Calcutta news bureau and as resident editor of the Delhi edition. In 2004 he became the founding editor of Dainik Statesman, a Bengali language daily newspaper run by The Statesman group, which he helmed for 11 years. His first book, Bangladesh War: Report from Ground Zero, was published by Niyogi Books in 2021.

About the Publisher

An internationally acclaimed publishing house, Niyogi Books, established in 2004, has more than 850 titles today. It not only specialises in textual content but also strives to give equal importance to visuals. It purveys a wide range of content on art, architecture, history, culture, spirituality, memoirs, and every aspect which connects with our rich heritage. Under its umbrella, it has fiction and non-fiction that cover books on social science, cookery, and self-help, as well as English translations of modern classics from different Indian languages. Niyogi Books, after having launched four imprints: Olive Turtle (English fiction),  Thornbird  (English translation), Paper Missile (English non-fiction) and Bahuvachan (Hindi translation: fiction & non-fiction), has launched its newest imprint, Perky Parrot, with an aim to provide fun reads for children and young adults.  Niyogi Books has co-published a number of critically acclaimed books with reputed institutions like the British Library, Rietberg Museum Zurich, IGNCA, National Gallery of Modern Art, Ministry of Culture (Govt. of India), National Manuscript Mission, Sahitya Akademi, among many others.