SLEEPLESS IN DHAKA

Poetry written by the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Bangladesh reflects the diplomat’s love affair with the South Asian country.

Steeped in the history and culture of Bangladesh, Ausan’s debut collection references the country’s tumultuous past—as well as its promising future. In the poem “In Bangladesh, That Dead Men Tell No Tales, Ain’t True,” inspired by the ambassador’s attendance of a human rights forum, the poet writes about those who died in 1975 during the military coup in which the country’s beloved prime minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated. (Rahman is referenced in the poem as Bangabandhu, an honorific term that means Friend of Bengal.) “From their graves their storytelling they do, / In amazing synch, conducted by the spirit of Bangabandhu... / And seemingly this lively chorus, / Can’t be made to hush... / Until their tales, and for justice quest, / Are once and for all heard, quenched, and laid to rest.” The country’s economic renaissance is the focus of “Ode to Chittagong”: “O, Port City of Chittagong, historic Chittagong, for Bangladesh, let a million flowers bloom, / Show the World, Bangladesh’s economy, is in a boom. / That her economic march, also is spun, upon thy loom.” And although there is a solemnity and gravity to much of the work, whimsy can be found within the poems as well. One poem begins with the humorous line: “An ambassador, in a suit made of Bangladesh’s jute, just can’t stay mute.” Ausan expounds on the power of poetry in multiple selections, but the overarching theme here is the ambassador’s seemingly innate diplomatic nature, as evidenced by a poetic gift to honor Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 77th birthday.

Equal parts tribute and travel guide, readers will feel the poet’s deep love for Bangladesh—rickshaw ride not included.