The Way To Comfort And Luxury:
What The Way Is
by Mohammad Azam
Assistant Professor at University of Dhaka
It is typical of Tarek Khan
that it will depict a group of men and women with their whole society. In The Way To Comfort And Luxury they struggle
for their bed of roses in different ways. What is the
real way, and fake way? Tarek
made the answer weaving his story blending historical info, social trends,
diversified professionals, political tones, etc. Here everybody
wants all criminals dead. So
the Govt. of Bangladesh formed a new force, RAB.
The protagonist is Tanu Hawk, a young college lecturer. He cannot
concentrate to the class because his younger brother is facing a danger. He is unfortunately
a blacklisted ‘criminal’, maybe killed by RAB at any time. Tanu moves across
the capital city to save him. A woman helps who wants to get pregnant by Tanu. Her
husband is a RAB officer.
It is rare in a novel where the individuality and totality, state and
society, are deeply related each other. They are playing interlocking and
complementary parts, yet the person extremely highlighted. Here we see, Tanu suffers
and observes everything. He has despairs and desperations, great expectations,
love and affection, sexual urge, etc. His thought and views, witting, subtle
opinions and analysis take him to the greater society and state policy, but he
is not an extraordinary one rather than a very simple man; hooked up with his
family, friends, and girlfriend. He is an unforgettable young man.
The topic more and more expanded, but everything pointed the theme
concretely and depicted ruthlessly, neutrally. Tarek did it skillfully. He was
always careful that he had to write a novel, not another. He has done something
rare, not so common.
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