A country chiefly famous in the West for media images of poverty, underdevelopment, and natural disasters, Bangladesh did not exist as an independent state until 1971. Willem van Schendel's history reveals the country's vibrant, colourful past and its diverse culture as it navigates the extraordinary twists and turns that have created modern Bangladesh. The story begins with the early geological history of the delta which has decisively shaped Bangladesh society. The narrative then moves chronologically through the era of colonial rule, the partition of Bengal, the war with Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh as an independent state. In so doing, it reveals the forces that have made Bangladesh what it is today. This is an eloquent introduction to a fascinating country and its resilient and inventive people.

    The author, who was Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong at the time of Zia's assassination, narrates these events from his perspective. It is a riveting account of the last hours of the most powerful man of Bangladesh that time, and the series of events leading to the capture and assassination of another freedom fighter, late Maj. Gen. Manzoor Hussain. Zia gave birth to a new slogan Bangladeshi nationalism with an Islamic flavor. In doing so he also paved the way for the rehabilitation of the religion based political parties and their leaders who had sided with the opponents of Bangladesh liberation. At the end he was able to cobble together a new political party - The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - which was a potpourri of diverse political elements, lefties, centrists, religious zealots, and deserters from other political parties including the Awami League. As Zia busied himself with his newly acquired political power and a besotted political party, he drifted from the original power base the Army, in particular the freedom fighters section that he was aligned with at the beginning. Many of his new political associates were suspects in the eyes of his freedom fighter colleagues for their political past, anti-liberation stand, and their perceived corruption. Zia's life was cut to a short at the peak of his popularity by elements of the very forces that had catapulted him to power, and had provided him the platform to success. From his vantage point, the author doubts if we will ever know if the officers charged and executed were the only people involved in Zia's assassination. If Gen. Manzoor actually gave the leadership to the failed coup attempt, or whether there was a more deep rooted conspiracy that brought bout the fateful events. The truth never came out, neither in the in-camera Army Court Martial or the Army and Judicial enquiries that were set up by Sattar government. Truth became a casualty to cover ups, political shenanigans, and over time, to indifference.

    The key question that the author explores is: what do tigers mean for the islanders of the Sundarbans? The diverse origins and current occupations of the local population produce different answers to this question - but for all, 'the tiger question' is a significant social marker. Far more than through caste, tribe or religion, the Sundarbans islanders articulate their social locations and interactions by reference to the non-human world - the forest and its terrifying protagonist, the man-eating tiger.The book combines rich ethnography on a little-known region with contemporary theoretical insights to provide a new frame of reference to understand social relations in the Indian subcontinent. It will be of interest to scholars and students of anthropology, sociology, development studies, religion and cultural studies, as well as those working on environment, conservation, the state and issues relating to discrimination and marginality.