The books attempts to portray the Indo-Bangladesh relationship through the former president’s eyes, the rise of Sheikh Hasina to power, her struggle to overpower the fundamentalists and her relationship with India.
At the time when the book was written in 2023, Hasina had already been attacked 19 times by the extremists, he says. As a journalist connecting the dots of events for decades, his book, Lahiri says, portends many aspects of the present-day geopolitical situation. “Although I hadn’t mentioned the fall of Hasina in the book, I talked about the rise of fundamentalists, and that Mohammad Yunus is going to play a major role in the political landscape of Bangladesh in the coming days, which proved to be true,” he adds. “The relationship [between India and Bangladesh] of 1975 to 1991, it’s almost coming back”.
Mukherjee, says Lahiri, was recognised by Bangladesh as a well-wisher and a guardian, for his long and key role in its political landscape. “When I planned to write a book on him, he forbade me, saying that he has to contradict a lot of things, so it better be written after he dies,” reveals the author. The book, he says, is an interpretation of his conversations with Mukherjee and is based on rigorous research of several books, including the ones written by Bangladeshi authors, newspaper reports and on-the-ground conversations.
Speaking to TMS, Lahiri recalled the term “minus two” with reference to past conspiracies at removing the two most powerful political leaders of Bangladesh —Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina—from politics, a reference that finds mention in his book too. The movie adopts this theme, merging it with a storyline of terrorist groups trying to kill them both again.
Lahiri says the Raktabeej refers to demons who keep coming back one after the other, and the film metaphorically refers to the relentless attacks on destabilising the two countries. He also hinted at a possible third season of the franchise. The book is set to be translated into English in the coming months.