Freedom and Its Price

In this film Navina Sundaram visits Bangladesh shortly after its formation. It begins in a military hospital for young soldiers and questions the price paid for the hard-won freedom from Pakistan. Using original footage and interviews, Sundaram narrates in modern documentary form the story of Bengali nationalism in the region against the backdrop of colonial history. The freedom struggle is embodied by President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the ‘father of the nation’, and the four pillars of his politics, nationalism, democracy, socialism and secularism. Sundaram traces the implementation of these through encounters with Hindu and Muslim groups, Bihari migrants, farming families and cooperatives. World politics is reflected in the fate of the young nation: Russian, Chinese, Indian and US interests determine Bangladesh’s present.