চিলেকাঠার সেপাই : চতুর্দশ অধ্যায় Rooftop Soldier: Chapter 14

Matthew D. Rich

doi:10.64242/bijbs.v20i24.22

Authors

Matthew D. Rich Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64242/bijbs.v20i24.22

Abstract

In Chapter 14 of The Rooftop Soldier, the English translation of Chilekothar Sepai by Akhtaruzzaman Ilias, Anwar embarks on a tense mission to seek Khoybar Gazi’s mercy and secure the withdrawal of a legal case against Nadu Poramanik. What begins as a straightforward plea quickly plunges him into the intricate world of feudal power, family loyalties, and social hierarchies that govern the village. Gazi, a formidable and enigmatic figure, balances genuine compassion for Nadu with sharp disapproval of Chengtu, whose reckless defiance embodies youthful rebellion. As Anwar navigates Gazi’s conditional decisions, he is drawn into a rich tapestry of memories—his father’s passions, ancestral legacies, and the tragic brilliance of Jahangir, whose extraordinary potential was crushed by superstition and societal constraints. Against the backdrop of hospitality, nostalgic recollections, and the serene beauty of the village, Anwar comes face-to-face with the stark limitations of negotiation under entrenched authority. Despite a fleeting promise of resolution, the chapter pulses with the tension of moral dilemmas, the weight of tradition, and the unpredictable forces of justice, obedience, and human ambition in a rigid social order.

Author Biography

Matthew D. Rich

Akhteruzzaman Elias, (1943-1997) novelist, short story writer of Bangladesh. Though not a voluminious writer, with only two novels and twenty-two short stories to his credit, Akhteruzzaman is considered as one of the foremost fiction writers of Bangladesh. His two novels are Chilekotbar Sepai (1987) and Khoyabnama (1996), while his short stories have been anthologized in Anyaghare Anyasuar (1976), Khonyari (1982), Dudhbhate Utpat (1985), Dojakher Om (1989). He also has a collection of 22 essays, Sangskrtir Bhanga Setu (1997), published posthumously. Elias' insight into the subtle nuances of human nature, his use of physical and psychological details, his keen sense of wit and humour, his sarcasm at hypocrisy, his critical knowledge of history and politics and its objective, aesthetic articulation in the novels and short stories have earned for him an eminent stature in Bangla Literature. Among the several awards Akhteruzzaman Elias received were Humayun Kabir Smriti Puraskar (1977), Bangla Academy Sahitya Puraskar (1983), Alaol Sahitya Puraskar (1987), Ananda Puraskar (1996). Sa'dat Ali Akhand Puraskar (1996), Kazi Mahbubullah Gold Medal (1996), and Ekushey Sahitya Padak (1999, posthumous). Some of his works have been translated into several foreign languages. Chilekothar Sepai has been rendered into a film.

Matthew D. Rich, is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at the University of Chicago. He is in the final stages of writing his dissertation on language and national identity among the Khasi people of Northeastern Bangladesh based on 3 years of fieldwork in Maulvi Bazar, Sylhet. He is also at work translating Akhteruzzaman Elias's first novel, Rooftop Soldier, as well poetry from Binay Mazumdar's final volume The Hospital Poems. A translation of Elias's short story "Renkor", along with a substantial critical essay by Matthew on it, are currently under review by the journal Modern Asian Studies.