The Boy Refugee

A emotional roller-coaster that brings us to the front row seats of a forgotten war. I encourage everyone, especially those from Indian subcontinent to read. A few surprises for me:1. The neutral tone of the book. Wish more authors reported what they saw than gave us their opinions. As an example, the role of India is portrayed for what it was ... from an author who immigrated to Pakistan, it was gratifying to read that the Indian Govt's treatment of refugees was decent, as per the Geneva convention agreements. Salute to Col. Harnam Singh for setting the right tone and protecting his refugees.2. The ups and downs in the life of Mr. Qamaruddin, tha author's dad. The thought of losing his seniority and pension was so strong that he took family back into the war zone, just so he can continue to work at Adamjee Mills. Kudos to him for making all the right decisions after that to protect his family and bring them to Pakistan safely. Countless salaried employees of mills or otherwise would make the same decision if in his place - and that is the life of a middle-class salaried employees.3. The life of the author and his siblings after they escaped being a PoW and being a refugee should give hope to every refugee out there. Winning Gold Medals and becoming a surgeon who does robotic surgeries is no small feat ... seems like the steely resolve of author's mother paid huge dividends. Again giving countless mothers hope that your efforts to protect your family will also pay off.Last, as author suggests, I agree that more governments should make a resolve to solve the refugee problem. Just look at the positive impact of what one family was able to make in this world.Thank you to author for a wonderful read.

This book has an amazing storyline which will grip you from the very first word to the last .It talks about horrors of war ,Break up of a country and sad plight of the bystanders in this tragedy who ended up as refugees and it is also the story of the loving parents and their sacrifices to protect their children and lastly a very traumatic event for dr azeemuddin and his siblings who fought against all odds in their journey from the prisoner and refugee camp to the present day Pakistan and then their success story with all of them achieving high goals as medical professionals and dr azeemuddin with his achievements of robotic surgery to his amazing calligraphy and being a very devoted son , loving husband and father is a one heroic tale .I must congratulate dr azeemuddin for writing a very honest and neutral account of the tragedic events of the old East Pakistan,present day Bangla desh and i have read many books on the subject but no one mentioned the good treatment the indian army particularly major harman singh provided to the refugees and this speaks itself of the nobility ,empathy and honesty in the esteemed character of dr azeemuddin and no wonder why he is loved so much by his patients in the community ..I highly recommend this book for everyone to read and i hope this book can bring hope for all refugees in the world at large.

A truly intriguing book on the harsh realities of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, which led to the dismemberment of Pakistan, and it’s aftermath from the eyes of a young boy who along with his family got caught up in the spiraling conflict. The writer vividly describes the things happening around him during and after the war and his epic journey to the POW camp in India where he stayed for almost two years and then released at the Wagah border near Lahore. The readers get to know how life was like inside the internment camp and the activities which kept the young and old captives busy. It was heartening to see how the author rose from the nadir of despair as a prisoner of war to the zenith of his profession and established himself as a preeminent surgeon. The book is a must read for everyone but especially for those who value hard work, diligence, ingenuity, dexterity and do not give up hope in times of adversity. It will be a great morale booster for all the refugees of the world who are languishing in harsh environments away from their deserted homes and yearning for a better life.

I have known the author of this intriguing memoir for many years. He is a respected surgeon in our community, and the founder of the Islamic Art Society that presents a wonderful annual festival. I never once suspected the challenges that he had experienced as a boy refugee. He spent two years of his childhood in a refugee camp in India after his family was caught up in the Indo-Pakistani war of the early 1970's. He tells his story through the innocent eyes of a child, whose thoughts mirror the gentle man he is today. I knew very little about this part of the world (West Pakistan, India and Bangladesh), but the book gives sufficient background without overwhelming the reader with details. I came away with more sympathy for the plight of refugees in all times and places. I am pleased that a portion of the proceeds from this book is going to help refugee causes. I highly recommend it as a book that will open your eyes and your heart.

Greatly enjoyed reading Dr Azimuddin's recollection of his family going through trials and extreme challenges of East Pakistan War. It is full of details and brings readers to actually visualize what his experience was living in a war and as a refugee. Once started to read I wanted to finish it all in one sitting. An eye opener for us to see how refugee lives are impacted and want to do what we can to restore some normality in their lives, especially the kids. His own journey is a remarkable inspiration that one can take on endless endeavors no matter what challenges or hardship journeys we live thru. Recalling the experience after 40 some years and presenting is like it just happened proves the point that this kind of trauma one never gets over! Thank you for sharing your journey and helping us understand there's always refugee journeys going on in our world and we need to be mindful and available in any capacity to help them.

True narrative of history from the eyes of a young boy, well written

‘The Boy Refugee’‘The Boy Refugee’ as the apt title suggests, is a commendable narrative of the author Azimuddin, who was only eight years old when he and his family were uprooted from their affluent, comfortable life in Dacca, the then East Pakistan, to an internment camp in India as civilian POWs.The painful and hard-hitting reality of how their lives changed over-night is heart-breakingly realistic and takes the reader on this distressing journey with the author.Inspite of the grim subject, the book has its own moving moments of warmth and tenderness. To mention a few quotes from the book: Azimuddin had six pigeons and all had flown away sensing that they need to return to their families...’kabootar was the youngest and had stayed behind, he was very attached to me.’...’I dug a little hole in the ground and buried the medallion. My little secret stayed with me forever.’...’’If anyone ever asked me where I lived, I would say, ‘room number 4, barrack number 1!’’...’the prisoners took a last look at the caged compound that had been their home for two years.’Azimuddin’s narrative is commendable and brings home the humanitarian crisis of refugees in 1971 as it is today.A worthwhile, highly inspiring and recommended read!

What an amazing read. Before reading this book, I knew little about how Bangladesh came to independence, and the tragedies endured in the war for the country’s liberation. This book gives a compelling and personal recount of what it was like for a child in the harsh conditions of an internment camp during this war, from the perspective of the stranded Pakistani community. The book highlights the resilience of refugees, and in the case of this author and his family, how triumph can eventually overcome adversity.

A very well written and eye opening account on the plight of refugees. This book really brings to life the struggles refugees face day to day, even in the present time. Well worth a read!

Started reading this book, beautifully written, takes me into the era while reading. Not unnecessarily long not too concise. A living history. The writer has given insight into both sides of the story, pain in the war.

I have just finished reading your book 'The Boy Refugee' non-stop. Just could not put the book down. Congratulations on an absolute masterpiece. Very well narrated of a very challenging time. A great service for the millions of refugees all over the world.