Bangabandhu’s unfinished autobiography translated into Arabic

The unfinished autobiography of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s has been translated into Arabic, while it is also going to be published in Spanish language soon.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Dr. Riad N. A. Malki handed over some copies of Arabic edition of the book -- “The Unfinished Memoirs of Bangabandhu” -- to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official Ganabhaban residence here on Sunday evening, said PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.

While handing over the book, Dr Malki said they have published the book in Arabic and are distributing it to other Arab countries.

“We have also requested other Arab nations to publish the book ... if necessary we could supply the books to them,” the press secretary quoted the Palestinian foreign minister as saying.

The premier later handed over two copies of book with her own autograph to the Palestinian foreign minister --- one for their President Mahmud Abbas and another for Dr Malki.

Karim said the Palestinian foreign minister paid rich tributes to Bangabandhu and said the people of his country hold the great leader in high esteem. “What Bangabandhu had done for the people is unique,” Dr Malki said.

The Palestinian foreign minister also recalled Bangabandhu’s special friendship with Palestinian legendary leader Yasser Arafat. “It was special friendship and now it’s our responsibility to take care and protect this relationship,” he said.

Earlier, outgoing Spanish Ambassador in Dhaka Eduardo de Laiglesia Del Rosal informed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that they are going to publish the unfinished autobiography of Bangabandhu in Spanish language.

“We will publish ‘The Unfinished Memoirs of Bangabandhu’ in our language soon,” he said during his farewell call on with Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban.

Apart from Bangla and English, the book is also available in Chinese, Urdu and Japanese languages.

The long awaited memoirs written by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman hit the stands in a book form on June 18 in 2012, in its original Bangla version “Oshomapto Atmojiboni” as well as in English translation titled “The Unfinished Memoirs”.

The University Press Limited (UPL) published the memoirs in both Bangla and English languages, while it has been released simultaneously in India and Pakistan by The Penguin Books India and Oxford University Press Pakistan.

The memoirs have been translated into English by Professor Dr. Fakrul Alam of Dhaka University.

The Ashahi Shoten Publishers, a prestigious publishing house in Japan, has published “The Unfinished Memoirs of Bangabandhu” in Japanese language. The 600-page Japanese version of the memoirs of Bangabandhu was translated by Kazuhiro Watanabe of NHK Bangla Department.

Former Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Chai Xi and his friends translated the book into Chinese language.

Xi, who served in the Chinese embassy in Dhaka for 15 years in different capacities, translated the book at the request of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Bangabandhu penned this invaluable document during his time in jail through 1967-69.

There he described the context of writing it, and his lineage, birth and childhood, days in school and college, and his social and political involvements.

This great leader also chronicled the historical events he experienced standing in the forefront- famine, communal riots in Kolkata and Bihar, partition, Pakistan central government’s discriminatory attitude and the Agartala conspiracy, among others.

Source: BSS