The mighty Ganga meets the Brahmaputra as the Padma in Bangladesh. It is the delta of this river that forms most of Bangladesh’s fertile plains and travels slowly down to the Bay of Bengal as a collection of islands and rivers crisscrossing them. Famous among these are the Sundarbans in Bengal, and as geography does not know borders, this riverine estuary continues across the international line undisturbed. The Agunmukha is one such river, shimmering in the sun, a lifeline to the islanders, and with a history unique to the local people. These are the roots traced and their inner life examined by the author Noorjehan Bose in her memoir Daughter of the Agunmukha: A Bangla Life.

Back then, there were a few Hindu families, the majority Muslim, and quite a number of Rakhines from Burma living in the smaller villages and hamlets on these islands. However, the partition brought news of horrific events disrupting the uneasy balance, and one night the Hindu families stole away under the cover of darkness. The Rakhine too migrated to areas where they were more populous. Soon, however, another misfortune befell them. This was a country of Bangla-speaking Muslim people but was ruled by Urdu speakers from West Pakistan, and the two communities were on a collision course. Most of the local leaders, including the author’s husband, Imad, lived in hiding and feared for his life.

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