The book Mujib’s Blunders: The Powers and the Plot behind his Killing by Manash Ghosh critically analyzes a number of subsequent mistakes made by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after he was appointed Bangladesh’s primary helmsman.

The Kolkata Mail correspondent Priyanka Dutta caught up with the author in an exclusive chat over the new book. Excerpts..

As a journalist, did your firsthand experiences help a lot in writing this amazing book?

Manash Ghosh- Yes, it did. It is based on my experiences and interactions with the then top Bangladeshi leadership since I was posted in Dacca as The Statesman Bureau Chief (1971- early 1975).

When you were covering the Bangladesh Liberation War, what kind of challenges did you face as a journalist?

Manash Ghosh- A sense of insecurity always haunted me, as getting caught at the hands of the Pakistani army or their auxiliaries (like razakars -armed Pakistani militia – and peace committee members) would have meant sure death, as it happened in the case of two Calcutta-based freelancers (Surojit Ghoshal and Dipak Bandopadhyay). The other serious challenge was that there was no way of sending my despatches from the battlefronts as telecommunication links between India and East Pakistan were non-existent. I had to wait an entire day or two to get back to Calcutta and file my report. Timing was everything.

With the current situation in Bangladesh, do you think your book will inform young readers about the past happenings in the country?

Manash Ghosh- Yes, it will because it delves deep into the factors responsible for the current turmoil. Readers will be able to relate the present chaotic situation to the missteps that Mujib took, which resulted in his assassination and also that of four national leaders, besides senior sector commanders, which resulted in the rise of defeated anti-liberation forces who are currently holding sway over Bangladesh.

How much time did you take to write the book?

Manash Ghosh- It took me two and a half years to finish my book.

Will you be writing more books on Bangladesh and its political scenario in the future?

Manash Ghosh- God willing. Bangladesh and South-Asian geopolitics have always been very close to my heart, and I do realise that the current developing situation in Bangladesh will call for another book.

What will be your next book on?

Manash Ghosh- I have some ideas, but they will certainly be on issues which I covered extensivel,y like the public killing of monks of Anandamarg on Bijon Setu in broad daylight and also commented on editorially which resulted in the then Chief Minister of Bengal, Mr. Jyoti Basu, filing a criminal defamation case of Rs 2 crores against me. The court upheld my editorial criticism as valid and justified and rejected  Mr. Basu’s claim that I had indulged in yellow journalism. The reason I want to write about the killing of Anandamargi monks is that the perpetrators of this heinous crime went scot-free and were never brought to justice.