This collection of essays by Mohammad Badrul Ahsan is the second compilation of Crosstalk, the column he writes for The Daily Star. These columns were written mostly between 2005 and 2007 on a wide range of subjects with a particular focus on the recent political convulsions in Bangladesh. In some of his essays, he comes eerily close to truth, analyzes the facts with a discerning mind and presents his thoughts in convincing and elegant prose that is recognized by the readers as his signature style. Honore de Balzac writes that a writer is like a galley slave to ink and pen. Badrul writes from his heart, because he believes that a writer must be committed to his conscience if he must write for the benefit of his readers, whether he chooses to make them laugh, shed tears or simply think about the events of life. But the first condition of writing is that it must be untrammeled by considerations of convenience. If the writer must write for the pleasure of others, however inconvenient, he must write for his own pleasure first. So, here is another selection of essays which have been written in that pleasure of mind. Each of these essays is an impassioned statement of life around us. They talk about politics, religion, love, hope, doubts and misgivings, the gamut of human emotions which are whipped up in the daily struggle of life. The readers are going to enjoy yet another impressive compendium of Badrul's oeuvres from The University Press Limited.
