Bangladeshi-Canadian writer Neamat Imam has come up with his first novel, The Black Coat, joining the growing band of Bangladeshis making a mark writing in the language of the former colonial masters.
Published : 08 Jun 2013, 06:54 AM
Imam, who lives in Edmonton, holds a doctorate in theatre studies and has authored a plan, collection of poetry and two novellas in Bangla.
He has taught in two universities in Bangladesh before he moved to Canada.
Like many in the country, Imam’s “The Black Coat” is set in the country’s 1971 Liberation War – rather in its aftermath.
Nur, who does a great job faking the country’s founding father Banganadhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is the hero of the novel.
After a bloody struggle, Bangladesh is an independent nation. But thousands are pouring into Dhaka from all over the country, looking for food and shelter.
Among them is Nur Hussain, an uneducated young man from a remote village, who is only good at mimicking Mujib’s famous Ramna speech.
He turns up at journalist Khaleque Biswas’s doorstep, seeking employment.