Nasim Firdaus

Bangladesh's foreign policy, diplomacy, and challenges in a changing world.

Sufibad O Sufider Shorup Shondhaney (‘In search of the nature of Sufism and Sufis’), written by Syed Rezaul Karim and published in 2020 by Bangla Academy, is a welcome addition to the meager collection of books written in Bangla on Sufism.

Marie Antoinette famously asked the French poor to “eat cake” if bread was not available. Social disparities leading to a famine caused by rising bread prices, had hit the poor poorly. On 5th October 1789 women, unable to feed their families and outraged by the chronic shortage of bread, converged in the market place of Paris

When I received my marching orders for Egypt, I knew it was meant to be a punishment posting. Based on unsubstantiated allegations of supporting her opponent, the then Prime Minister had decided my fate; I was to go to oblivion.

My mother was a great bedtime storyteller. A particular story was about her grandfather who was a chess player.