Perpetrator's Perspective of Bangladesh Liberation War: Reading Sorayya Khan's Noor

The Bangladesh Liberation War has inspired many literary gems from Bangladesh, but a stoic silence from Pakistan hinders any holistic understanding of this war. Sorayya Khan, a Pakistani Diaspora writer, breaks this silence of decades with her novel Noor and uncovers not just the incidents during the war but also the guilt-ridden psyches of soldiers of the West Pakistan Army who were the perpetrators of barbaric acts committed on their own people. This paper traces the perpetrator's perspective as it examines Ali's participation in the war and his trauma and disillusionment as a consequence. It argues that not only the victims, but soldiers too, were traumatised by war. Ali is trapped in his own conscience, which holds him responsible for heinous crimes. His attempt to remain silent and forget the war is repeatedly foiled by his granddaughter Noor and her paintings. Her paintings represent the scenes of war and violence that resurrect memories from the deep recesses of Ali's mind. This paper traces how Khan uses a child with extraordinary painting skills, as a tool to unravel the perpetrator's perspective.