In 2020, the then Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government celebrated the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with grandeur across the country.
Barely any aspect of life and culture was left out of the celebration, which continued for more than a calendar year.
Bangla Academy, too, organised a variety of programmes.
Among these, from February 2020 to February 2023, it published a staggering total of 102 books on different aspects of Sheikh Mujib's life and activities, as well as on cultural subjects connected with him.
Several books were also published about Mujib's wife, Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.
From the start, questions were raised about the subject matter of these books, the author selection process, and, of course, quality.
At the time, some people even commented on social media that these books were being used to construct Awami League's narrative.
"With the calculation of Tk2 lakh per book, a proposal of Tk2.28 crore was submitted to the ministry. But it did not provide a single taka."
A Stream investigation has found evidence of substantial irregularity in the books published by Bangla Academy on the occasion of the Mujib Centenary.
100 books, zero budget
According to information gathered from several Bangla Academy officials, then Director General Habibullah Siraji planned 100 books for the Mujib Centenary.
He submitted a Tk2.28 crore budget proposal to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in 2020.
Siraji passed away in 2021, while still serving as DG.
His budgetary proposal did not receive the nod of the ministry, which instead tasked the Bangla Academy to fund the publications.
Questions were raised within Bangla Academy as to whether it would be able to recover such a large amount from the books.
Recalling the events of the time, Tapon Kumar Bagchi, current director of Bangla Academy's Department of Folklore, Museum, and Archives, who was involved in the process at the time, told Stream: "When Habibullah Siraji Sir was alive, the initial plan was for 100 books. In the end, 102 were published.
"With the calculation of Tk2 lakh per book, a proposal of Tk2.28 crore was submitted to the ministry. But it did not provide a single taka. The question then was how we would make a profit. They told us to spend from our own funds, and we did just that."
An academy official, requesting anonymity, said the reallocation of funds from other sectors to publish the books greatly affected operations.
But there was little else to do.
Questions over author selection, book quality
The process of selecting authors for the 102 books published by Bangla Academy during the Mujib Centenary has also been questioned.
After publication, criticism centred on the quality of the books as well.
But at the time, no one felt safe to speak openly about the matter.
"Out of 102 books, maybe 20 fell short in terms of quality. But imagine, if the vice chancellor of Dhaka University submitted a piece: we had to include it. Or if another prominent person gave us something, we had to publish that too."
Speaking to the media in June 2024, former director general of Bangla Academy, Dhaka University history professor, and Mujib researcher Syed Anwar Hossain said, "I have seen several of the books published by Bangla Academy on Bangabandhu. The books are of very high quality. However, they needed more editing."
On condition of anonymity, a Bangla Academy director told Stream that not even 10% of the books published on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by the Academy were worth reading.
"But they were published only to please then prime minister Sheikh Hasina."
The official further said almost all of those who wrote or edited the books did so in order to draw the attention of the Awami League government.
According to him, there were essentially three types of authors and editors involved – one group eager to attract the Awami League's attention; another who hoped to secure government projects by writing books; and a smaller group who did it simply for money.
When asked about the quality of the books, the official said most of them were full of praise and eulogy for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
In comparison, there was little analytical perspective or critical observation.
Tapon Bagchi, however, said, "Out of 102 books, maybe 20 fell short in terms of quality. But imagine, if the vice chancellor of Dhaka University submitted a piece: we had to include it. Or if another prominent person gave us something, we had to publish that too."
On subject matter
There are also questions about the subject matter selection of the books that have been published on the occasion of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centenary.
Books have been published with Sheikh Mujib's name in the series, where difficulties persist in making a connection with his life and work.
In many cases, the connection has not even established.
Two books – "Sadhak Kabider Rachanayo Bangabandhu Jiban O Rajithi" written by Simon Zakaria and "Bangabandhu O Cha Shilpo" by Abul Kasem – can be given as examples.
Munim Rabbi, a reader who dug through history books, said, "Some books have been published under this series, which did not even need to be published."
Who are the authors?
Stream obtained the complete list of the books from Bangla Academy's February 2023 catalogue.
Analysing the list reveals that, among the 69 authors and editors in this project, 15 were directly or indirectly connected with or employed by Bangla Academy, 13 were bureaucrats (current and former), 20 were academics, five were journalists, six were poets and writers, and several were politicians or organisers.
The identities of three could not be confirmed.
The professors involved as authors and editors were from Dhaka University, Jagannath University, Rajshahi University, Pabna University of Science and Technology, and Islamic University.
Almost all of the listed authors had some form of connection with Bangla Academy, raising questions on author selection.
Return on investment?
Probed further on the funding, Tapon Bagchi said despite the thousands of crores allocated for Mujib's birth centenary, instead of Bangla Academy, most of the funding went to Shilpakala Academy to stage plays across every district.
Then how did the books published by Bangla Academy perform? Could any of the cost be recouped?
"At first, we published 10 books. We saw those had sold out. Then more manuscripts began to arrive, so we published those too. In other words, nothing was done under any formal project."
When asked whether the books brought any profit or hampered other work of the Academy, Tapon said: "The publication of these books did not cause serious harm to the Academy."
These books on the occasion of Mujib Centenary were published under Bangla Academy's Research, Compilation, Dictionary and Encyclopaedia Division.
At that time, the division's director was Mobarak Hossain, who recently retired.
Speaking to Stream, he said several of the books were printed and reprinted entirely with the Academy's own funding.
According to Bangla Academy authorities, 1,250 copies of each of the 102 books were printed. Several were reprinted.
Authors and editors received royalties at a rate of 12.5%. Editors received a one-time payment of Tk 20,000.
However, if a book had multiple editors, the same Tk20,000 was divided among them.
According to Tapon Bagchi, "There was nothing special about this. It was done the normal way books are published. Only the Bangabandhu logo was special. Nothing more than that."
The profit amount, however, could not be ascertained.
Books lying in storage—what next?
Many of the books published for the Mujib Centenary are now lying in Bangla Academy's storage.
In the changed context following the mass uprising, the Academy is no longer selling the books.
Exhibitions have also been halted.
Asked about this, the current Director General of Bangla Academy Professor Mohammad Azam said: "The books are in storage. Since they were printed, this arrangement had to be made."
When asked if the books would be put up again in sales centres or exhibitions, Azam, who assumed the role of DG after the mass uprising, said: "No decision has yet been made on that."
Asked about the quality of the published books, the DG said: "I cannot comment on their quality, because I have not read them. But in truth, the matter was not about quality; it was a political intervention. In this situation, from 5 August onward, all activities regarding these books have been suspended."
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