From Taj Mahal Dream to Tihar Jail Nightmare: ‘Badaler Karabash’ Chronicles a Tragic True Story

Badal Farazi had dreamed of seeing the Taj Mahal—the immortal creation of Emperor Shah Jahan. But in a cruel twist of fate, instead of the iconic monument, destiny led him to the dark cells of Delhi’s notorious Tihar Jail. Due solely to a partial similarity of names, Badal Farazi was falsely implicated in a murder case and lost 18 of the most precious years of his life behind bars. His unbelievable and harrowing true story is now being brought to life in a novel.

Titled Badaler Karabash, the book has been published by Prothoma Prokashon, with pre-orders now open on Prothoma.com, Rokomari, and other leading e-commerce platforms in the country. Readers can place pre-orders immediately and enjoy special discounts available during the pre-order period. The book is priced at BDT 280, written by Rahitul Islam, and published by Prothoma Prokashon.

The novel recounts how Bangladeshi citizen Badal Farazi travelled to India in 2008 purely as a tourist, only to be arrested by Delhi Police despite being completely innocent. A victim of grave judicial error, Badal was sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court in India. After enduring more than a decade in prison amid a series of devastating events, he was finally able to return to Bangladesh in 2018 under a prisoner-exchange agreement. Yet, his ordeal did not fully end there—he remains incarcerated in Bangladesh to this day. Tragically, his father passed away while counting the days for his son’s return.

Despite these heartbreaking circumstances, Badal has continued his struggle from behind bars. His perseverance, tears, and relentless legal battles form the core narrative of Badaler Karabash. The novel stands as a powerful testament to how the life of an ordinary young man can be crushed under the weight of a flawed justice system.

Author Rahitul Islam said that Badal Farazi’s life story is no less dramatic than a cinematic script. “While writing about his arrest, wrongful conviction, inhuman torture in prison, his remarkable pursuit of education while incarcerated, the selfless efforts of French woman Julie and human rights activists, and Badal’s bitter experiences of legal entanglements even after returning home, I was repeatedly shaken,” the author said. “This is not just the story of one Badal—it is a silent protest against the inconsistencies and failures of the justice system.”

DBTech/Press Release/IK/OR