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Boy Refugee: A Memoir from a Long-Forgotten War
Boy Refugee: A Memoir from a Long-Forgotten War is the story of a young refugee boy in the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The story chronicles his escape from war-ravaged Bangladesh to the relative safety of a barbed-wired internment camp in the foothills of the Himalayas, his day-to-day life as a civilian prisoner of war, and his thousand-mile, two-year-long journey back to Pakistan.
183 pages, Paperback
Published February 21, 2025
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3244 people want to read
About the author
Khawaja Azimuddin
3 books18 followersDr. Khawaja Azimuddin is a gastro-intestinal surgeon in Houston, TX. He specializes in minimally invasive and robotic surgery for colon cancer. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons, and the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Edinburgh. As a child he spent two years in a refugee/ civilian prisoner of war camp. After almost fifty years he is finally telling his story and hopes to bring attention to the current refugee crisis.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 6, 2020
I always find it interesting how we, as people in general, decide what is worthy of making it into our general history education and what isn’t. I’ve always counted on books, especially memoirs, to learn more about different places in the world in general, and The Boy Refugee is one of those books. Up until a few years ago I can honestly say that I was quite ignorant about the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the war which led to the creation of Bangladesh. Then I read a couple of novels set in that time which revealed to me just how brutal it had been, and also how little it is talked about today. The Boy Refugee, by Khawaja Azimuddin, MD, takes place during this time, and is a personal journey of a young boy’s escape from Bangladesh with his family into a refugee camp in India, and then finally their journey to freedom in Pakistan. It is a good resource for anyone who is interested in knowing more about this war and its aftermath!
The author does a great job blending historical facts and his own personal experience together, which provides the reader with an overview of both the war itself, the plights of all people involved, and the author’s life through his own eyes. The incomprehension and fear of what lies ahead is palpable in the novel, and I really liked how well the author did in maintaining his younger self’s voice. We really read about Khawaja Azimuddin’s experiences as he lived them.
I burst into tears at the end of the book - I wanted so much for them all to end up being OK, and to have found a new home, and was happy to see that despite all of the hardships the family endured they ended up thriving once they were released from the refugee camp and able to find their feet again in Pakistan. However, learning about the plight of the many Biharis that were never able to leave Bangladesh made me very sad. Like so many refugee populations in the world, they seemed to have been forgotten by us all. I am glad that I had the opportunity to learn more about how Bangladesh was born, and want to learn more. I commend the author on his transparency and the way he makes sure that his memoir discusses the atrocities that were committed by both Bengalis and Biharis against each other.
Highly recommended read!
The author does a great job blending historical facts and his own personal experience together, which provides the reader with an overview of both the war itself, the plights of all people involved, and the author’s life through his own eyes. The incomprehension and fear of what lies ahead is palpable in the novel, and I really liked how well the author did in maintaining his younger self’s voice. We really read about Khawaja Azimuddin’s experiences as he lived them.
I burst into tears at the end of the book - I wanted so much for them all to end up being OK, and to have found a new home, and was happy to see that despite all of the hardships the family endured they ended up thriving once they were released from the refugee camp and able to find their feet again in Pakistan. However, learning about the plight of the many Biharis that were never able to leave Bangladesh made me very sad. Like so many refugee populations in the world, they seemed to have been forgotten by us all. I am glad that I had the opportunity to learn more about how Bangladesh was born, and want to learn more. I commend the author on his transparency and the way he makes sure that his memoir discusses the atrocities that were committed by both Bengalis and Biharis against each other.
Highly recommended read!
September 1, 2020
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.
July 14, 2020
The author portrays an unbiased account of the war from both sides. In Pakistan we propagate a historically false and self-serving narrative where we play the victim, and blame India as the evil perpetrator, that started the 1971 war. All the brutalities & genocide the Pakistani army did with the launch of Operation Searchlight, against the Bangalis are left out from our history classes. I was glad to read that the author despite being a Pakistani gives an accurate and a universally acceptable version of the war. This book is also an eye opener on the social issue of refugees & hopefully will make people consider the current ongoing refugee crisis in Syria, Afghanistan etc.
July 31, 2020
This memoir takes the reader to a not-so-distant frightening episode in world history. Told from a grown-up emigre physician’s point of view, Dr. Azimuddin shares the story of his childhood spent as an innocent bystander caught up in war in the early 1970s.
Dr. Azimuddin makes the point that this period of world history is little-discussed or taught. I was in junior high when I learned about the new country of Bangladesh erupting from the former East Pakistan; how the Pakistani people had been divided across the expanse of northern India, and how they’d grown apart, almost into separate people with their own customs, language, and culture. But, eclipsed by the atrocity that was Viet Nam, not to mention upheaval in almost every other corner of the globe, attempted genocide in this out-of-the-way region has been pretty much treated as a civil war in world history.
Tensions had been mounting for years, but by the early 1970s, Pakistani people, some of whom had migrated from west to east a hundred years earlier, living and working in East Pakistan, were suddenly cast into the role of usurpers. The Bengali people, as those who lived in East Pakistan preferred to call themselves, decided they were being treated unfairly and rose up to split from Pakistan and form the new nation of Bangladesh. People who weren’t Bengali, even if they’d lived there for generations, were attacked in a genocidal campaign, and many businesses closed. Pakistani troops were sent, and India had little choice but to get involved. Those who could, fled, leaving behind every part of their lives—home, jobs, friends and sometimes relatives, as well as their future.
Azimuddin’s father had decades earlier moved from West Pakistan and found work in a jute factory, eventually becoming a manager. The family, parents and three children, watched the growing unrest, but chose to stay until they were forced to go into hiding. They eventually found shelter in an army cantonment, then were part of a rescue operation by the Indian government that began to move refugees back toward Pakistan. When Pakistan hesitated to receive its 93,000 rescued citizens back, the Indian government set up camps across northern India and treated the refugees, both civilians and Pakistani military personnel, as Prisoners of War. It is here that Azimuddin spent two years while Pakistan hemmed and hawed about accepting its people. Meanwhile, a vast number, as many as a quarter million non-Bengalis, or Biharis, were left in Bangladesh to their fate, only recently gaining some recognition.
As a child, Azimuddin’s perception of life in the refugee camp is perhaps colored by his innocence. Imagine going from a large home with servants to take care of one’s needs to a six by eight-foot bare cement floor for your family of five, walled off by your three suitcases and sleeping bag, and a couple of sheets. You share a large area with several families, and common bathrooms for women and for men, and a common tap for water. You are fed basically gruel three times a day. You are under guard day and night, surrounded by barbed wire which, if you touch, you are punished. You long for a chance to go on wood and coal runs that, even though constitutes hard labor, is at least a chance to get outside the compound. Azimuddin recalls the experience certainly not pleasant, but not overtly harsh. Most of the Indian guards were decent folk, and though rations, warm clothing, and education were barely adequate, it was enough. Social life, faith practices, rudimentary government carried on. The older children were allowed some rudimentary volunteer education; a tiny stipend was given out to spend at the canteen, mail was available; even an opportunity to hear some basic radio news broadcasts. But the people were faced with uncertain futures if they ever were freed from the camp.
Eventually the standstill ended and Pakistan lukewarmly welcomed these POWs. Azimuddin’s father had to begin life all over, having lost everything, including pension. Dr. Azimuddin says their years of deprivation changed them, and made them tougher, perhaps better able to withstand a slow jumpstart back into the workforce. The family was in somewhat better circumstances than others, since they had outside family support, but it was no less traumatizing.
This memoir is a fascinating read, and highly recommended for those interested in under-told world events.
Dr. Azimuddin makes the point that this period of world history is little-discussed or taught. I was in junior high when I learned about the new country of Bangladesh erupting from the former East Pakistan; how the Pakistani people had been divided across the expanse of northern India, and how they’d grown apart, almost into separate people with their own customs, language, and culture. But, eclipsed by the atrocity that was Viet Nam, not to mention upheaval in almost every other corner of the globe, attempted genocide in this out-of-the-way region has been pretty much treated as a civil war in world history.
Tensions had been mounting for years, but by the early 1970s, Pakistani people, some of whom had migrated from west to east a hundred years earlier, living and working in East Pakistan, were suddenly cast into the role of usurpers. The Bengali people, as those who lived in East Pakistan preferred to call themselves, decided they were being treated unfairly and rose up to split from Pakistan and form the new nation of Bangladesh. People who weren’t Bengali, even if they’d lived there for generations, were attacked in a genocidal campaign, and many businesses closed. Pakistani troops were sent, and India had little choice but to get involved. Those who could, fled, leaving behind every part of their lives—home, jobs, friends and sometimes relatives, as well as their future.
Azimuddin’s father had decades earlier moved from West Pakistan and found work in a jute factory, eventually becoming a manager. The family, parents and three children, watched the growing unrest, but chose to stay until they were forced to go into hiding. They eventually found shelter in an army cantonment, then were part of a rescue operation by the Indian government that began to move refugees back toward Pakistan. When Pakistan hesitated to receive its 93,000 rescued citizens back, the Indian government set up camps across northern India and treated the refugees, both civilians and Pakistani military personnel, as Prisoners of War. It is here that Azimuddin spent two years while Pakistan hemmed and hawed about accepting its people. Meanwhile, a vast number, as many as a quarter million non-Bengalis, or Biharis, were left in Bangladesh to their fate, only recently gaining some recognition.
As a child, Azimuddin’s perception of life in the refugee camp is perhaps colored by his innocence. Imagine going from a large home with servants to take care of one’s needs to a six by eight-foot bare cement floor for your family of five, walled off by your three suitcases and sleeping bag, and a couple of sheets. You share a large area with several families, and common bathrooms for women and for men, and a common tap for water. You are fed basically gruel three times a day. You are under guard day and night, surrounded by barbed wire which, if you touch, you are punished. You long for a chance to go on wood and coal runs that, even though constitutes hard labor, is at least a chance to get outside the compound. Azimuddin recalls the experience certainly not pleasant, but not overtly harsh. Most of the Indian guards were decent folk, and though rations, warm clothing, and education were barely adequate, it was enough. Social life, faith practices, rudimentary government carried on. The older children were allowed some rudimentary volunteer education; a tiny stipend was given out to spend at the canteen, mail was available; even an opportunity to hear some basic radio news broadcasts. But the people were faced with uncertain futures if they ever were freed from the camp.
Eventually the standstill ended and Pakistan lukewarmly welcomed these POWs. Azimuddin’s father had to begin life all over, having lost everything, including pension. Dr. Azimuddin says their years of deprivation changed them, and made them tougher, perhaps better able to withstand a slow jumpstart back into the workforce. The family was in somewhat better circumstances than others, since they had outside family support, but it was no less traumatizing.
This memoir is a fascinating read, and highly recommended for those interested in under-told world events.
August 6, 2020
In The Boy Refugee, Azimuddin provides a tearjerking narrative recounting his boyhood experience of being caught in the struggles of warring countries far removed from his daily life. As he states early in the book, while enjoying his innocent childhood, trouble was brewing in the land of lazy rivers. The complex ethnic and geographic environment of post-partition Pakistan is expertly described, an unprecedented concept following the botched division of India. Importantly, not only is the account factually accurate, but it also emphasizes the blurred lines between good and evil in war. Essentially, as recurrent conflict occurred and tensions progressed ultimately leading to all out war, both sides were at fault. Yet, as an unfortunate reality, the civilians paid the price. As the story progresses, Azimuddin highlights the moral ambiguity seen in these circumstances. Morals become ambiguous as we see great compassion even by the "enemy". While this is a recurring theme in dozens of war stories, rarely is the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the Bangladeshi Liberation War at the center of conversation. Thus, this work is a novel perspective of a war that is rarely mentioned. Still, thousands of other voices remain unheard.
On a more optimistic note, the story ends highlighting the ultimate (albeit gradual) success that was attained by Azimuddin and his family following the resolution of the war. We see the dichotomy between his family belongings fitting into a pair of suitcases versus his current status as a premier surgeon. This concept is especially relevant today, in a world with millions of refugees currently lacking opportunities for personal and professional development. In a sense, Azimuddin's story is an inspiration that refugees have the potential to succeed if the global community acknowledges its current deficiencies.
Overall, Azimuddin is a gifted author and this book is a must-read for all of those interested in South Asian history and refugee stories, or even those willing to develop empathy in the current chaotic global environment. The book is a timely reminder that there is still much work to be done to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
On a more optimistic note, the story ends highlighting the ultimate (albeit gradual) success that was attained by Azimuddin and his family following the resolution of the war. We see the dichotomy between his family belongings fitting into a pair of suitcases versus his current status as a premier surgeon. This concept is especially relevant today, in a world with millions of refugees currently lacking opportunities for personal and professional development. In a sense, Azimuddin's story is an inspiration that refugees have the potential to succeed if the global community acknowledges its current deficiencies.
Overall, Azimuddin is a gifted author and this book is a must-read for all of those interested in South Asian history and refugee stories, or even those willing to develop empathy in the current chaotic global environment. The book is a timely reminder that there is still much work to be done to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
July 31, 2020
This war between West Pakistan and East Pakistan (the Bengalis) and the role of India and the Bihari has not been well chronicled nor remembered in history books. There was carnage and violent oppression and tragedy upon tragedy for the people on both sides of this decades-long conflict. Khawaja Azimuddin’s memoir The Boy Refugee is a retelling of the horrors of that war and those caught as refugees as a result. As “caught refugees”, is family lived as Indian Prisoners Of War for over two years. They lived in a cage in northern India that was controlled by Indian soldiers with their “guard dogs and rifles with shiny blade bayonets. Each family was given an area of about six feet by 8 feet in cage #1 (pp.86). There were 840 occupants in their cage. Life was harsh, primitive, and isolated from the rest of the world.
That isolation was one of the emotional traumas of their refugee status. Khawaja says “in the evenings, men would gather the veranda to play card games and talk. We would sit in a circle and intently listen to our transistor radios, we longed to hear some news about us; the Pakistani prisoners of war in the Indian camps. But night after night there was none. It really did seem as if the whole outside world had forgotten about us. There was no news about the 93 thousand Prisoners Of War on the airwaves. We felt very lonely and isolated (pp.128-129).”
But Khawaja as a young 9 year old boy didn’t experience the depth of the ravages of war known by the adult refugees. As a result his retelling of the trauma of this time in history brings a more humanizing, empathic insider-view of the horrors of war and refugee life. He retells the tragedy accurately but with gentle brush strokes. Considering the mass migrations of refugees flooding countries all over the world in this 21st century, and the trauma these refugees have sustained, Kawaja’s book is an important birds-eye view of the ravages of war and displacement of peoples.
3 stars. M.L. Codman-Wilson, Ph.D., 7 31 20
That isolation was one of the emotional traumas of their refugee status. Khawaja says “in the evenings, men would gather the veranda to play card games and talk. We would sit in a circle and intently listen to our transistor radios, we longed to hear some news about us; the Pakistani prisoners of war in the Indian camps. But night after night there was none. It really did seem as if the whole outside world had forgotten about us. There was no news about the 93 thousand Prisoners Of War on the airwaves. We felt very lonely and isolated (pp.128-129).”
But Khawaja as a young 9 year old boy didn’t experience the depth of the ravages of war known by the adult refugees. As a result his retelling of the trauma of this time in history brings a more humanizing, empathic insider-view of the horrors of war and refugee life. He retells the tragedy accurately but with gentle brush strokes. Considering the mass migrations of refugees flooding countries all over the world in this 21st century, and the trauma these refugees have sustained, Kawaja’s book is an important birds-eye view of the ravages of war and displacement of peoples.
3 stars. M.L. Codman-Wilson, Ph.D., 7 31 20
August 3, 2020
Wonderful book
What a wonderful book. I love that it is told from the point of view of a child. I couldn’t help
But think about the online learning that will have to go on this year and how children will not be in the classroom and will still survive. It is a blessing that the author and his family persevered and we were able to hear this beautiful story of how ease comes after hardship.
What a wonderful book. I love that it is told from the point of view of a child. I couldn’t help
But think about the online learning that will have to go on this year and how children will not be in the classroom and will still survive. It is a blessing that the author and his family persevered and we were able to hear this beautiful story of how ease comes after hardship.
August 2, 2020
Fantastic book. The author vividly narrates the story of his life growing up in East Pakistan, suddenly becoming a refugee in his own country, surviving in a refugee camp, and his long journey back home. His experiences and emotions are conveyed beautifully in each chapter. The book also gives context of the political strife between Pakistan, India, and the newly formed Bangladesh, which greatly affected their lives.
The story is one of resilience, hope, and instills empathy for the millions of refugees across the world.
I greatly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend as a must read for everyone!
The story is one of resilience, hope, and instills empathy for the millions of refugees across the world.
I greatly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend as a must read for everyone!
July 22, 2020
A very well written book. Told from a child’s perspective but gives a good picture of war and it’s aftermath on innocent citizens. As all well-written narratives, once I started reading it I could not put it down. It touches the heart. Dr. Azimuddin is a gifted writer. Looking forward to more writings from him.
July 14, 2020
A remarkable story by a colleague of mine about his years as a prisoner of war in India in the 1970’s. I enjoyed the history lesson and the personal description of his experience.
July 3, 2020
Dr Azimuddin’s book about the years he and his family spent in the refugee camp. The experience he has shared shows how life can be difficult for an ordinary citizen when countries go to war. War has never been an answer to any human problems.
I really admire the efforts of Dr Azimuddin and recommend everybody to read this marvelous memoir. It also should be taught as a curriculum of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh's schools! Two thumbs up!
I really admire the efforts of Dr Azimuddin and recommend everybody to read this marvelous memoir. It also should be taught as a curriculum of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh's schools! Two thumbs up!
Read
July 4, 2020The author is an overachier in multiple fields and vividly recalls the story of his life growing up in Bangladesh, then East Pakistan and India with bulk of it devoted to his time in a POW camp. His experiences and emotions are conveyed very clearly in an easy to read and digest book that one wants to finish in a single sitting. Highly recommended for those sympathetic to the refugee plight in this age of bigotry.
July 6, 2020
Poignant first-hand account of life as a refugee and prisoner of war, told from the perspective of an eight year old boy. It’s humbling and eye-opening to see how quickly a comfortable, care-free life can transform into chaos and fear. This is a timely story detailing the experiences of refugees. I highly recommend this memoir written by a well-respected colleague of mine.
September 7, 2020
Inspiring read
I know Dr Azi personally and am humbled to learn of his path from childhood to successful husband, father and surgeon. It is tempting for young people to look at people like Dr Azi today and think life is so easy for him without understanding his tumultuous path to success. Such is the case for most community and business leaders, although the struggles vary widely. Success was not handed to him, but earned by him as a result of a culture of honor of God, loyalty to family and expectation of personal accomplishment.
Stories like Dr Azi’s open my eyes to worlds I never knew existed and I’m grateful for the experience. Thank you, Dr Azi, for sharing your story with me today and the kindness from you and Sama over the past many years.
I know Dr Azi personally and am humbled to learn of his path from childhood to successful husband, father and surgeon. It is tempting for young people to look at people like Dr Azi today and think life is so easy for him without understanding his tumultuous path to success. Such is the case for most community and business leaders, although the struggles vary widely. Success was not handed to him, but earned by him as a result of a culture of honor of God, loyalty to family and expectation of personal accomplishment.
Stories like Dr Azi’s open my eyes to worlds I never knew existed and I’m grateful for the experience. Thank you, Dr Azi, for sharing your story with me today and the kindness from you and Sama over the past many years.
January 28, 2021
Very interesting 1st hand account of war in Bangladesh
A good personal history about the war in Bangladesh. The author describes all the relevant parties to the war. He also presents his story from a child’s eye.
A good personal history about the war in Bangladesh. The author describes all the relevant parties to the war. He also presents his story from a child’s eye.
December 28, 2020
A very beautifully written memoir of a very rarely heard time in history.
May 17, 2021
I received this book from a giveaway. Very informative to read. I was not familiar with this war before starting the book. Interesting to hear the prospective from a young boy.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews