Independence: 1971 & 2010

National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar, Dhaka is dedicated to unidentified martyrs of Liberation War 1971

Bangladesh, a country named after the mother tongue of her people emerged into world map in 1971. Through a bloody battle for nine months, offering a priceless sacrifice of 3 million souls and respect of 200,000 women and enormous loss of properties people of the country gained freedom from malicious Pakistani rulers. The long-cherished dream to be truly independent rose high up that was nurtured over the centuries since 1757 when British colonialism began in this sub-continent. The valiant people of Bangladesh probably offered the largest sacrifice for their freedom in the history of mankind.

Today is the Independence Day of Bangladesh. In 1971 Bangladesh was declared independent by Bangabadhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the elected leader of majority Awami League party in East Pakistan then. He proclaimed the 'Declaration of Independence' at early hours of  26 March, 1971 before he was arrested by invader Pak army. His enormous efforts to meet his people's plea for freedom from all kinds of suppression politically was unable to meltdown stiff hearts of the rulers. Instead, those butchers intended to stop the plea of people with bullets. Pak army began heinous 'Operation Searchlight' to hunt down unarmed Bengali people in Bangladesh (East Pakistan) on 25 March night. They called this operation 'rebel hunt' who were trying to split 'Pakistan' with support from India, their arch-enemy for all times. It was nothing but a huge 'genocide'. Millions of people fled to India to save their lives, millions were killed and tens of thousands of women were ravaged. However, they eventually finished as defeated party in December 16, 1971 in front of heroics of Bengali freedom fighters and then to joint forces.

The history of Bangladesh is found all over in pages of world history. I read them numerous times in my student life and still now read them. My father was a school boy when the liberation war started, so there is no scope for me to rewind and go back to those days because I had no existence then! What I understand from historical references is people in 1971 wanted to be free from foreign invasions and suppression. They wanted to gain sovereignty, to live and let live independently in a happy abode for their own. They snatched that off from Pak rulers with long struggles and heroics. They got freedom in December 16, 1971. But I dare to say that people of this country are not yet truly independent.

What is independence? From my knowledge in civics I understand it's the way how people enjoy their rights freely without making harms to other people's rights. Independence is to ensure that all people irrespective of caste, religion and socio-economic conditions are lawfully equal and eligible to enjoy their rights and fulfill their duties.

In 1971, outer enemy was defeated and we became free. But we are yet to be free from inner enemies, many political and social vices. They still dominate the country influentially, giving birth to thousands of problems, making people's life a hell. This is a constant challenge for everyone of this country to be trully independent one day. There is along way to go............................lots of things to be done, lots of time required to build a real 'Bengal of Gold' whom we would love with our lives.

The Land of Smile

With UCAN Founder Fr. Robert Astorino, MM and five friends from Pakistan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Cambodia and Singapore in front of UCAN House in Bangkok, Thailand

Traveling to new places has always been an exciting experience for me. I had experiences of long distance travel by bus, train, launch, and steamer across the country but never flew in an aircraft as well as abroad before March 2009. Thanks to God at last I had the chance to fulfill my long cherished desire when my employer Union of Catholic Asian News/UCAN invited me to attend one-week Advanced Training at Main Editorial Office in Bangkok, Thailand. What a great joy filled my heart! Just like walking on the moon! Later this year (2009) I traveled to Thailand twice more (May and October) but the first journey will remain evergreen in my memory.

Arranging my passport, visa and ticket in time I flew for Bangkok from Zia International airport in Dhaka on March 22. I had checking in the Immigration and collected Boarding Pass by 1:00 pm and then along with other passengers boarded into Thai Airways airplane (TG 322), for the first time in my life. But Alas! It was not so pleasing at the beginning! The plane stopped unexpectedly after taxing off at 1:40 pm on the way to the runway in Dhaka airport. Except pilots and cabin crews no one in the plane knew what happened.

After half-an-hour the pilot announced that the plane had some complications in its hydraulic wheels and they would fix it shortly and also advised us not be scared because it’s nothing serious. I called my office in Bangkok and Bureau Chief in Bangladesh to let them know the situation and they too advised me not to worry and assured me that even if the flight is delayed there will be someone to pick me up from Bangkok airport.

Later, the plane was toed to the ramp and Thai cabin crews served us meal. It took about six hours to fix the problem and in the mean time all the passengers were asked to get down and to wait in airport lounge. Many of them were worried and seriously doubted that the plane could fly today. I was not scared but a bit worried because my training was supposed to begin with dinner this evening.

At last the plane got ready to fly at 7:30 pm and all the passengers got on board. It was quite a dark summer evening, so when it took off at 7:45 pm I could barely see anything outside except airport lighting and vaguely the city. Soon, the plane flew about 30,000 feet high above the ground and I could only see the dark sky with thousands of stars. I didn’t sleep for a minute because of excitement in two hours five minutes journey to Bangkok. Traveling 974 miles skyline the plane landed at Suvarnabhumi International airport when it was almost 11:00 pm Thai Standard Time.

Bangkok airport is at least five times larger than that of Dhaka. It has two separate floors for International and Domestic arrival and Departure. One can get easily lost in its hundreds of planes and passages if he/she has no knowledge of communications in Thai or English language. It has Tuk Tuk taxi service and Moving Stairs to ease passengers getting to Immigration and Luggage Belt. Soon after finishing formalities I sought for my Thai UCAN colleague but failed to find him. Having no local SIM I couldn’t call and at last took a taxi to reach my office at about 1:00 am.

American Maryknoll Father Robert Astorino (UCAN Founder) led the training up to March 27 for six participants, one each from Bangladesh (I myself), Ayyaz Gulzar (Pakistan), Kagnha Keo (Cambodia), Daniel Tay (Singapore), Priyatno Ardi (Indonesia), and Judit Szelenge (Mongolia). In the mean time once in the evening on March 24 our News Editor Julian Gearing took five of us for a dinner and a movie in city. We went to The Mall Shopping Center, enjoyed delicious pizzas at Pizza Hut and then watched Nicolas Cage starred sci-fi movie ‘Knowing’ at SF Cinema City in the shopping center. The Mall is one of the largest and popular shopping centers in Bangkok. You can buy any daily necessary and luxurious commodities in there.

Bangkok is a huge city full with tourists from all over the world and is recognized as most visited city in Asia. It is famous worldwide for its hospitals, hotels and markets. Tourism is the main industry and largest source of national income for Thailand. Thai people are very humble and cooperative by nature. They are lovely smiling people and ready to extend hands when needed. So, Thailand is often called ‘The Land of Smile’.

Dinner with editor Julian Gearing and friends at The Mall Shopping Center

There are hundreds of luxury hotels, fine hospitals and tourist spots in Bangkok. The city has excellent transport systems with bus, taxi, ground train, metro rail, sky train and waterways. The roads are very nice and there are lots of flyovers in the city. Bangkok Municipality is really wise and deserves praise for utilizing the space with flyovers. Low speed vehicles are not allowed on highways to avoid accidents.

Thailand is a Kingdom and the only country in Asia that was not ruled by European colonists. So, communication in English is a bit problematic for Thai people. Though the country maintains democracy for administrations but the one man every Thai people love and revere in Thailand in the King. He is like the father to them who cares for them so much. Anyone saying bad words against the King can be sent to jail immediately.

The Training concluded with lunch on March 27 and I along with five others drove for Hua Hin sea beach by the evening in Julian’s car. Hua Hin is one of the most beautiful sea beaches in Thailand and most probably the quietest one. It is located about 350 kilometers north from Bangkok. Julian Gearing and his wife Sian Ninara, Judit Szenlge (Mongolia), Ayyaz Gulzar (Pakistan), and Irja Halasz (UCAN Photo Editor) along with her Mongolian dog Mr. Tsaganna (The White) accompanied me during the whole weekend tour.

We paused twice during four hours journey, for gasoline and dinner. We reached Sabai Jai Tourist Lodge at 11:00 pm and ran to the beach which is just one minute walking distance from the lodge. We sat on the sands and later laid down staring at clean sky to see numerous stars. What an amazing experience! I had never been to a beach before, not even in Bangladesh.

With Pakistani friend Ayyaz Gulzar on a boat ride at Hua Hin, Thailand

We rose up late next morning due to spending long time at the beach last night. Taking breakfast we went for sight seeing in the area. At first we bought some bananas to feed the monkeys in the Chopstick Mountain area. There are hundreds of monkeys in the area who gladly accepted our bananas. Then we drove to Khao Samrioyot National Park and visited a small museum cum souvenir shop there. We bought some T-shirts and other clothes as a souvenir. Then we visited an ancient Buddhist Temple.

Boat ride in the nearby canal was another enjoyable moment for us. We hired a boat for 400 Baht (Thai currency) for one hour and enjoyed beauty of Thailand all around the area. Traditional Thai cuisine was the outstanding feature in the lunch. Soon we came back to our lodge and ran to the beach for a bath. In the evening we went to Hua Hin City for shopping and dinner. By 10:00 pm we came back and slept late night spending time on the beach.

On March 29 we went to Khao Golok (Skull Mountain) in another part of the beach. The mountain has human skull shape and is steep on surface. The beach is more beautiful there and lots of Thai tourists gathered to spend weekend there like us. We walked all around, me and Ayyaz tried to climb the mountain and I got my feet hurt with stone. We wrote on the beach sands, made figurines and rested on a fishing boat for a while. Then we hurried back to our lodge and packed up our stuff to go back to Bangkok. On the way back it rained heavily and we reached Bangkok at 11:00 pm. I, Ayyaz and Judit carried our cameras, so we came back with lots of photos and videos from Hua Hin.

Three of my friends went back home earlier and we three stayed a bit more time in Bangkok city. I went for shopping at Tesco Lotus and 7-Eleven, two popular super stores found all over Thailand. On March 31 I flew back for Bangladesh with lots of new and amazing experiences about Thailand. It was ever first opportunity for me to get on plane and flying abroad. Thailand is really a fascinating and hospitable country for tourists from all over the world.

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My Life...My Struggles...

Like every human being in this world I have seen the light of the world not by my choice but by the grace of God. It was May 24, 1985 I came into being in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. Fortunately or unfortunately I was born before the delivery date! My mother came to Dhaka as her delivery date approached near. While in my paternal aunt's residence she suddenly slipped in the bathroom and her labor pain began. Thus, I was born!

I was kept in the oxygen cube as I had respiratory problems. It took about a week to get myself come round fully. Since I was born in a Catholic Christian family, my parents took me to a Catholic priest at Holy Cross Church, Luxmibazar, in old Dhaka for a Catholic baptism. My relatives managed to fix Godparents for me but unfortunately they couldn't arrive in time when the baptism started. Finally, my youngest paternal aunt and uncle registered their names as my Godparents.

So, my life began with struggles! I was poor in health and often needed to have medical check-ups. For three years after I was born I stayed in Dhaka and often my mother and the aunt had to run to doctors to improve my physical conditions. When I improved in health after three years I came to the village home of my parents at Choto Satanipara under Kaligonj sub-district of Gazipur. It's about 50 kilometers northeast from Dhaka.

I'm the eldest child of my parents but not the first. Before me, mother gave birth to a baby girl named 'Annie' who died after 7 months. She had serious cardio-vascular problems. That's why I was much desired and loved kid of my family, especially to my parents.

In my early days my father used to work in Kuwait. So, our family, a joint family then was financially solvent. As days proceeded on it began to ruin as my father got seriously ill in his workplace and decided to come back to Bangladesh. At the age of seven I've seen my family split from joint arena and turn into a nuclear one. A life of struggles overshadowed us. This was the real beginning of my struggles throughout life, until now.

Today I'm almost at the edge of my education life and doing a good job since 2008. The struggle in the battlefield of life is not finished yet. My twenty five years life is a saga of ups and downs, success and failure, pain and pleasure. Through a number of posts I'll try to depict it. Today I managed to begin the epic tale. If you read this post, please wish me good luck!