In the era of social media, many of us might know of 'Nadir on the go' and his travel vlogging, known for interacting with different cultures and mesmerising drone shots, but do we know there was a guy famously known as 'Tinku' broadcasted a program named 'Banglar Pothe' about decades ago and bring us all the stories from different part of Bangladesh when there was no internet, no Google map, and no advanced device.
And what about the drone shots? The guy tied up his mobile phone with a kite to take the shot from an altitude today, commonly termed a drone shot. He did travel vlogging when the concept of travel vlogging was not even established, capturing the scenic beauty of Bandarban, Rangamati, and Khagrachari hill tracts.
The beginning
Hasan Imam Chowdhury, commonly known as 'Tinku' or 'Tinku the Traveler', was behind the popular travel show 'Banglar Pothe', which started in 2008 on Channel I. But before that, Tinku used to host and direct a show with a similar concept named 'Desher Pothe', which was on air on Bangla Vision from 2006 to 2008.
"That time children and travel-related shows didn't get sponsorships. 'Desher pothe' broke that ceiling. When I first pitched the idea to Banglavision they said that's exactly what they want," said Hasan Imam.
When battery is more important than food
"The concern was more about having enough batteries to run the cameras rather than having water or food to run our bodies," he said, emphasising the importance of equipment.
Exploring the whole of Bangladesh, from the northern city like Panchagar to the southernmost Saint Martin Island, was not a walk in the park for Hasan and his team.
Taking us into a flashback, he said, "I don't know whether this generation has seen poster maps, not small ones with just the names of the cities. I bought an encyclopedia-type map from Bangla Bazar with details of famous places, well-known personalities, and interesting facts about each of the cities of Bangladesh."
"We used to manage our accommodation sometimes with the help of our city representatives. Then with a local guide, we used to go to our desired destination."
It is common today to have a GoPro camera for travel shoots, rent a drone, and have power banks to support devices. Multi-functional devices could shoot, edit, and produce content. However, the reality in the late 2000s was different.
"We once covered the kite festival on Saint Martin Island when there were no hotels like today. I needed a shot from a high altitude for my show. So, I used my recently-bought Nokia mobile which had a decent camera, and tied it up with the kite. It flew high up in the sky, now you can watch the video on YouTube," he said.
Thanchi to Remakri in Bandarban offer thrilling adventures, from battling river currents to mountain treks. What seemed risky onscreen was the exciting journey.
"If you don't know how to swim, then don't jump into the river, and as in the profession of journalism, we are trained to take and tackle risks. I only asked my Video Journalist - 'How long can we shoot?' 'The whole day,' he replied, then started shooting again. You have to be mentally and physically fit and have to enjoy your work; if you are doing it as a job that you have to do, it might be disturbing; otherwise, it is more fun."
However, the end product was a collective effort of five to six people.
"Writing, hosting, giving directions, and sometimes camera work was done by myself. A camera person and a cash keeper used to go with us. Our driver also played a crucial role by telling us if he found something interesting. And can't thank Ismat Toha bhai enough for giving his voice to the narration," Hasan Imam expressed his gratitude towards his teammate.
Behind the stories
In a series of episodes in the Bandarban district, the team of Banglalink Banglar Pothe was seen at the houses of the ethnic people. He met the ethnic communities and their clan heads. The King of that ethnic group offered them to stay in their cottages. However, they decided to stay with the common ethnic people.
For Hasan, it was an experience one will cherish. Sharing one of his staying days, he said, "They have a very simple lifestyle. They gave all the food they cooked. I told our cash keeper to give half the amount as a token of love but the humble owner refused to take the money. Instead, he said do you take money from the guests for visiting your home?"
About their lifestyle and beliefs, he said, "The ethnic people are deeply connected to their roots and beliefs. They have a strong belief in omens. They rely on traditional treatment methods and practice them regularly to get rid of Nazar (evil eye). I have learned some of the totka (hacks) from them as well."
Hasan shared unforgettable experiences regarding his accident while making one of the episodes.
"We had an accident with a bike. We ensured the biker got immediate treatment while I looked after his bike. We did our work and returned to the village market to see what happened to that guy. I saw a crowd waiting in anger, probably to kill me. I am 6 feet 2, and I told one of the relatives of the injured guy that no one would know if I left the man behind. But I didn't. Now I am here to see him if he is okay. They took me to the hospital. The guy was lying on the bed and smiled at me; the first word uttered was, "Sorry, it was my mistake."
Travel vlogging now
From the period of storytellers to the emergence of books, people grew up reading stories. In the West, it was Ernest Hemingway's 'Green Hills of Africa,' or in this part of the world, Annada Shankar Rai's 'Pothe probashe' or Saiyed Mujtaba Ali's 'Deshe Bideshe'. In the late '90s, television shaped kids' childhoods who are now in their 30s. Programs strived for viewer retention.
Now, YouTube and Facebook have replaced TV, giving rise to 'Travel Vlogging', where creators own their content. Today, content creators, like travel vloggers, directly taste the monetary value of their work.
Hasan Imam sees room for improvement, "First, they (travel vloggers) have to gather authentic information about the places they are visiting, a proper idea and knowledge about its people and culture. It is our responsibility to show a thing how it is. Second, since technology has evolved tremendously, they should utilise it to its potential. Third, don't run after likes and views only. See, to do something for a living, taking something as a job won't take travel stories forward, work must have an impact so that people remember your work even after so many years, just like people still remember 'Desher Pothe' and 'Banglalink Banglar Pothe.'"
Hasan Imam Chowdhury loves his country and his fellow citizens. He was a born traveller who started travelling by bicycle in his childhood in Kushtia. He feels the soil and breathes the fragrance. Does he miss Bangladesh now?
"I do miss my home sometimes but now, I live at a place in New York where all the Bengali people live," he remarked.
Hasan Imam is still doing what he does best -- directing ads, short films, and travel videos about the Bengali living in the US with a vision to connect everyone, a task that made him the Tinku Traveler.
mohd.imranasifkhan@gmail.com