Unforgettable Mosharraf Bhai

Possibly it was in 1998 when this writer was waiting at the departure lounge of Bangkok's Don Muang Airport to board a plane for Kuala Lumpur. He was to attend an in-service training in the New Straits Times for a month. All on a sudden, he was made blind-folded. Scare ran through all the arteries of his body as such an incident in a foreign airport could be dangerous. With a huge jerk, he removed the scented handkerchief from his eyes. There he could see Mosharraf Bhai giggling. Behind him was Zaki Bhai.
"O man, we only meet you at foreign airports, not in Dhaka," Mosharraf Bhai said. Pat came the reply from this scribe: "People say you stay in Bangladesh on visa." Mosharraf Bhai and Zaki Bhai were there to go to Saudi Arabia on a business trip.
The 'premature' death of Muhammad Mosharraf Hossain, a former MP, in Dhaka last Monday made the past memories alive today.
He was Mosharraf Bhai to us all. He was often called an 'all-party man'. One could see in his offices top leaders of the Awami League, the BNP, the JSD and other parties almost daily gossiping and whiling away time amid jokes. Mozaffar Hossain Paltu was a regular visitor to his office either at the office of Barnali Advertisers in Gulistan or his manpower office Bay Eastern in Gulshan. Along with them was Mosharraf Bhai's business partner Zakiuddin Ahmed. To all, Zaki-Mosharraf was legendary twins.
Once Mosharraf Bhai was asked: "How could you team up with Zaki Bhai since your university days in a country where partnership business often turns out to be brittle?"
Smilingly he said: "We two are together everywhere. We even throw shoes at each other in anger at times. We are like the Iranian girls who died while they were being separated. We are together except when we stay with our wives."
Mosharraf Bhai was a perfect gentleman, humane towards those who had less. This writer, then a student in need of money, used to go to the office of the then monthly magazine - The Concept of Pakistan - at Elephant Road. He regularly published his articles in his magazine not because of their quality but because each publication could give this scribe some money to pursue his studies as scholarship money was not enough for him.
It was in his residence that he gave shelter to Dr Mozaffar Ahmed Chowdhury, popularly known as MAC, an internationally renowned political scientist, when utter confusion led to regrettable killings in Dhaka immediately after the war of independence. The Concept of Pakistan produced many luminaries like Dr Mizanur Rahman Shelley.
Mosharraf Bhai was always by the side of truly respected persons of society. He was fearless in providing sanctuary to those whose absence could have made the country poorer. It was he who had employed celebrated student leader and a perfect gentleman Ibrahim Muhammad Taha, eldest brother of noted civil servant AFM Yahya. Taha Bhai served his Barnali Advertisers as his adviser.
Perhaps because of The Concept of Pakistan, Mosharraf Bhai and Zaki Bhai were sympathetic to newspersons. They even published Weekly Swadesh, a Bengali weekly newspaper which was short-lived.
This writer saw hundreds receiving help from Musharraf-Zaki duo in their Elephant Road and Gulistan offices. This scribe was often forced by them to take lunch which used to be brought daily from their homes which were located nearly at Elephant Road.
Once Musharraf Bhai was asked why he chose to be called an "Adam Bepari". He did not mind the question and replied smilingly: "Is it not a help if Bangladeshi workers could be sent abroad without being cheated and at fair charges?" Hundreds went abroad with jobs safely in positions they were assured at home. There was not a single incident of cheating or fraud in the Bay Eastern.
Mosharraf Bhai did not lead a luxurious life. When he had to be sent to Singapore for treatment of heart ailments several times, it was his younger brother Moazzem Hossain Bhai who bore all the expenses.  Moazzem Bhai inherited all the qualities of his elder brother  although the former was richer than him. Moazzem Bhai is the owner of the company that produces Hosaf Meters and several shopping malls in Dhaka city.
It is said good people do not live longer. It was true in the case of Mosharraf Bhai. His death raises a question as to whether such noble persons would ever be replaced by some from the new generation. Only time can tell.
arjayster@gmail.com