Key words : memoirs, oppressed, auto-biography, unfold, excerpt, insist, equate, moist

A. Work in pairs and discuss the questions.

• What do you see in the picture?
• What does 'memoirs' mean?
• What does 'The Unfinished Memoirs' mean in your own language?
• What relation do you find between 'Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' and 'The Unfinished Memoirs'?

B. Read the text silently and tell what it is about.

You all know Skeikh Mujibur Rahman as a politician, who has many feathers in his crown. He is the leader of our struggle for independence. He declared independence on 26 March 1971. He is the founder of Bangladesh. He is our Father of the Nation. He is the leader of the oppressed people. He was and still is so popular, so dear, and so own to everyone that people passionately call him Bangabandhu meaning the friend of Bengal/Bangla. But do you know, Bangabandhu as a writer! Yes, we have got some precious memories of Bangabandhu written by himself. He wrote that in Bangla which is available as Osomapto Atmojiboni. Written in the style of auto-biography, Bangabandhu unfolds some unknown aspects of his personal, political and family life in this book. The narration clearly shows why he has been Bangabandhu and why he is the best Bangalee in a thousand years. The following text is an excerpt taken from The Unfinished Memoirs, an English translation of the book.

C. Here are some words from the excerpts taken from the Unfinished Memoirs. Work in pairs and write their synonyms on the blank spaces.

                                                 auto-biography       equate         excerpt             insist

                                                     memoirs                  moist         oppressed        unfold

D. Read the text once again and answer the following questions.

1. What kind of campaign do you think the writer is talking about?
2. Why would the villagers offer Bangabandhu money?
3. What is your opinion about the old woman in the above excerpt?
4. Why was Bangabandhu emotional to experience the story of the old woman?
5. Do you think this story has any moral? What is that? Justify your arguments.
6. What is your first reaction after reading this true story from the life of Bangabandhu?

E. Now read the following text and fill in the gaps using the words you have Bangabandhu?

You have read an _ from Bangabandhu's memoirs. The Unfinished Memoirs is in fact, Bangabandhu's _. Such a writing always _ someone's life-story. Have you read any other's _ ? Can you remember any other leader, who worked for the _ people? Anyway, it was really interesting to read about the woman in the excerpt who _ (ed) Bangabandhu to accept her _. It's true that nothing can _ such selfless love. Bangabandhu realized it and so his eyes got _.

F. Discuss in pairs to make a list of things that you can do for senior citizens in your community.