A double dose of sadness for Bangladesh

Bangladesh National Cricket Team

Last week my colleague Sumon Corraya wrote about the ferry boat crash near Dhaka; a tragedy that had the nation in tears.

In the same week there was another event that was, of course, infinitely less serious, yet it caused more than a few tears of its own. People nearly touched a dream that means so much, that came so close, but eventually flew away.

The Bangladesh national cricket team lost to Pakistan, in a nerve-wracking Asia Cup final in Dhaka, by a margin of just two runs.

Termed ‘minnows’ before the tournament, they reached the final for the first time in their history.

In the final, excruciating over, they needed nine runs, then four runs from the very last ball. But they only managed to get two.

The fans in the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium were struck dumb. The same thing happened to the millions watching on TV across the country.

The captain Mushfiqur Rahim started crying helplessly on the field. It made everyone emotional and sadness gripped the country.

Later, Bangladesh appealed, claiming that one of the batsmen was impeded as he tried to run. If this had been proven, Pakistan would have been penalized by five runs so we would have won after all. The video evidence certainly supports the claim but the authorities ruled that it was made too late.

Still, the performance sends a message to other cricket playing nations that Bangladesh are not minnows anymore. They are a mature team that can take on anyone on their day.

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A talismanic victory



Bangladesh Cricket team

The Bangladesh cricket team have just beaten the famous West Indies by three wickets in a truly nerve wracking match at the home of Bangladesh cricket in Mirpur, Dhaka.

At one point it looked likely to be another nightmare for the Tigers. But the new captain played a real captain’s innings to save the day. When he smashed the last ball for a huge six, millions of Bangladeshis rejoiced.
Why do we go so mad when our team wins? To people outside, it’s nothing much. But to us it’s not just a win, it’s also a bit of good news amid the endless bad news and sufferings that haunt people in this impoverished country.
We have so many reasons to be unhappy – overpopulation, corruption, political chicanery, power crises, price hikes, traffic jams, stock market failures and so on…..but a talismanic cricket victory puts it all aside.

The win not only boosts the confidence of the team (and it has been shaken recently, on and off the field) but also public morale.

Over the last decade, cricket has turned into the most popular game in the country. Even the heads of our government and the opposition – both of them female – joined the general public to congratulate the Tigers for sealing the victory. Apparently, both of them also support my favorite football team, Brazil. But these are the only conditions or situations I have known where they agree about something.
Thanks Tigers, for making us happy at least for a while!
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Beautiful Bangladesh: School of Life

Bangladesh is mostly known around the world for unhappy reasons.

It struggles with a massive population of over 160 million, which makes it the most densely populated place under the sky. About half of its inhabitants rank among the world’s most impoverished and vulnerable.

It’s also a soft target for natural disasters including floods, droughts, tropical cyclones and tidal waves. Every time a natural calamity strikes, many perish and many more go from poor to poorest.

Unsurprisingly Bangladesh is also beset by illiteracy, unemployment, corruption, political instability and a slack law and order system.

But a renewed sense of patriotism has been engendered by a three and half minute advertisement called ‘Beautiful Bangladesh: School of Life.’ First shown at the opening ceremony of the World Cup Cricket Tournament, the ad has made Bangladeshis look at their own land with a fresh perspective and made an eye-opening message for people outside the country.

Its creator, Gausul Azam Shaon, says he tried to express the real beauty of Bangladesh, which lies with its people and the way they live with nature. “It’s simple, it’s pure and we tried to show that a visit to Bangladesh will teach people to love the simplicity of life.”


*First published on UCAN Blog- Give Us This Day on July 27, 2011

Detalis on the commercial: The Independent on Feb. 20, 2011