Kritodasher Hasi: A Turbulent Novel of Autocracy and the Struggle for Freedom in the Context of the 1960s

The novel Kritodasher Hasi (A Slave’s Smile), written by Shawkat Osman, is a symbolic work that holds significant importance in the context of Bangladesh. This novel emerges as a strong protest against the deprivation under autocratic rule. Through this work, Shawkat Osman presents, on one hand, the hostile attitude of Ayub Khan’s regime toward the people of Bangladesh and the attack on their language, and on the other hand, the spirit of independence expressed through symbols. In the figure of the slave named Tatari, he conveys the message that no matter how much rulers try to dominate people with power and wealth, true freedom can never be suppressed. In the context of Bangladeshi literature, this stands as a highly important political and symbolic novel.