Written in 2016 , the Bengali novella , Pakistan , is the story of the encounter , during the late – 1980s , between the protagonist , an unnamed Bangladeshi student , and Imtiaz , a student from Pakistan , in the Peoples ‘ Friendship University in Moscow , when the latter is assigned to be the former’s roommate in the students ‘ hostel . Pakistan is about the explication of pathological hatred between nationals of nation states , it is about dialogue and exploration of fractured history , and about a possible solidarity between peoples that sets aside nations and nationalisms , and instead toasts friendship . Translated by V. Ramaswamy , from Kolkata , and with an Afterword by Taimoor Shahid , from Karachi , this English language edition of Pakistan is a befitting commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of Bangladesh .