Musa Ibrahim should have played cricket
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
I work at Nokia in Finland where my office is like a mini United Nations of people from around the world. Many, if not all, are snow and skiing aficionados and Mount Everest climbers like Musa Ibrahim.
When Musa conquered the majestic mountain, interest in Musa and Bangladesh in general rose to a new peak in the office. Everyone had seen and read about him in the media and turned to me for more information, as if I were the Bangladesh Tourist Bureau!
Now, these same people are speechless and confused with the treatment he received from the Bangladesh government, which is also an embarrassment to me as a Bangladeshi. In Finland heroes are treated as heroes and are highly respected members of the community.
Website searches reveal Dhaka-based Sir Frank Peters, a foreigner with foresight, international perspective, and irrefutable logic, advocating that a postage stamp be printed in Musa's honour, as a token of the nation's gratitude. Why the powers-that-be cannot see the kudos this would bring Bangladesh at home and overseas, is incomprehensible, to the point of sheer ignorance and stupidity.
Musa Ibrahim risked life and limb to create history for Bangladesh, but got very little in return for his courage and unique achievement. Perhaps he is now contemplating if he should have played cricket instead.
Sheikh Nur Jahan
Finland
E-mail: sheikhnur.jahan@europe.com
When Musa conquered the majestic mountain, interest in Musa and Bangladesh in general rose to a new peak in the office. Everyone had seen and read about him in the media and turned to me for more information, as if I were the Bangladesh Tourist Bureau!
Now, these same people are speechless and confused with the treatment he received from the Bangladesh government, which is also an embarrassment to me as a Bangladeshi. In Finland heroes are treated as heroes and are highly respected members of the community.
Website searches reveal Dhaka-based Sir Frank Peters, a foreigner with foresight, international perspective, and irrefutable logic, advocating that a postage stamp be printed in Musa's honour, as a token of the nation's gratitude. Why the powers-that-be cannot see the kudos this would bring Bangladesh at home and overseas, is incomprehensible, to the point of sheer ignorance and stupidity.
Musa Ibrahim risked life and limb to create history for Bangladesh, but got very little in return for his courage and unique achievement. Perhaps he is now contemplating if he should have played cricket instead.
Sheikh Nur Jahan
Finland
E-mail: sheikhnur.jahan@europe.com