An Orange Glow in the Sky: Memories of 1971

The turbulent months of 1971 provided a lifetime experience for those who lived through it. Nasreen Khundker was only fifteen that momentous year, preparing for her school finals in Chittagong. The events of 1971 thrust her from her sheltered world into the world of uncertainty and even terror. An Orange Glow in the Sky recounts the memorable events of 1971 through the perspective of the fifteen-year-old Nasreen. She recalls her life in Chittagong at the beginning of 1971, then goes on to describe the euphoria caused by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's electoral victory and the enthusiasm he inspired in all Bengalis to fight for liberation. She vividly narrates what life was like for ordinary people, as well as quiet heroes, after the military crack down on March 25. Nasreen Khundker succeeds in capturing the flavour of the times: the intense struggle, the feeling of patriotism, the hardship, the unique bondage between people. In doing so she attempts to give due recognition to those Bengalis who could not for various reasons cross the border. The book is especially written for younger people, to make them acquainted not just with historical facts but also with the personal stories of human beings caught up in events.