Donald Trump is a man shrouded in no mysteries, hence, his metaphoric nudity used in the title of Dr. Sarwar鈥檚 book of essays on him gives a clear-eyed view of who he is, but everyone is not clear-eyed.听听No man on earth today is widely talked about who is as controversial as Donald Trump.听听On the one hand, he is the subject of deep mockery by millions of people because of his corrupt ways- his constant lying, cheating, hatemongering, and using vitriolic rhetoric against those that he dislikes, but on the other hand, he is the subject of adulation of millions of his followers who are mesmerized by his skills in camouflaging his acts on arousing their negative impulses. Dr. Mostofa Sarwar鈥檚 book,听Donald Trump: Ulanga Samrat,听written in lucid Bangla for the Bangla-speaking diaspora, captures all of this and much more.听
We are makers of our destinies, yet there is no denying the fact that we also inherit many of our character traits, good or bad, from our forefathers and foremothers.听听To show Trump is no different, Dr. Sarwar includes Trump鈥檚 father and grandfather in his story. Trump鈥檚 penchant for models, beauty pageants, and porn stars could be traced back to his grandfather, a German barber whose shrewd business venture in America was entangled with prostitution, among other unethical things. Trump鈥檚 overt racism and his appetite for making a buck by any means necessary are gifts given by his father, Fred Trump, whose success story is embedded in unethical means.听听Dr. Sarwar has successfully manifested in the family lineage of Trump a popular jargon that the apple does not fall far from the tree.
Donald Trump: Ulanga Samrat听is a well-researched book with rich information about the man and his manners, but the writer does not leave the information speak for itself; he analyzes it using elements of satire and sarcasm.听听Considering who Donald Trump is, no writers can stick to any semblance of neutrality, and Dr. Sarwar is no different.听听Although the book is not a political satire, Dr. Mostofa Sarwar masterfully approaches his critical analyses and commentaries with the tacit use of wit and humor.听听Some of his fascinating subtitles tell the tale: 鈥淚blisher Chamcha Trumper Jonno Ashoni Sanket鈥� (Bad Omen for Trump the Minion of Iblish), 鈥淨Anon Namok Unmadder Poigambar Trump鈥� (Trump the Prophet of QAnon Crazies), 鈥淏ar茅 Bar茅 Trump Tumi Kheye Jao Dhan鈥� (Trump the Recurrent Cheat Cheating Away My Food Recurrently), the last one being a mildly modified version of a popular Bengali idiom where a repeated offender is warned. What to follow in such titles could be easily and reasonably understood.听听Dr. Sarwar鈥檚 critical overtures blended with wit and humor are enjoyable to read.
Dr. Mostofa Sarwar is a renowned academic, a versatile researcher, and a prolific writer, whose write-ups span many genres of literature.听听He knows very well how to employ words as the tool of his trade to carry messages as well as engage readers, both in the English as well as the Bangla languages.听听His usage of words in the right order and at the right place is about delivering both meaning and feeling.听听Through听Ulanga Samrat,听hopefully, Dr. Sarwar proves to be the proverbial wise man speaking the right words to the listening ears, especially in a trying time like this.
Dr. Sarwar鈥檚听Donald Trump: Ulanga Samrat听is an excellent read and will be welcomed by many in our diaspora.听听The publication of this book is timely since Donald Trump once again is a candidate for president of the most powerful nation on earth, on the one hand, and the other, he is the subject of dozens of indictments both civil and criminal, awaiting his fate in the courts of law.听听The whole world is also watching with hope and trepidation.
听Donald Trump:Ulanga Samrat听(Donald Trump: The Naked Emperor) by Dr. Mostofa Sarwar.听听Dhaka: Agrodoot & Company, 2024. 132 pp. Price: Tk. 400/ US $40.听听
听(Dr Munir Muztaba Ali is a Professor of English, former chair in the Department of Languages and Literature and founding editor of Sangam,听a literary journal at Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA)
