Musafir

The urge to see the unseen and know the unknown is innate in human nature. People do not like to be confined to a particular place or region for a long period of time; they want to visit new places, explore new areas. Spectacular developments in transportation and communication in the past few decades has revolutionized how one goes to places, allowing anyone with money and interest to visit even the remotest areas of the planet. This is a captivating story of a family constantly on the move, travelling to newer places facing unimaginable troubles and travails as a result of tensions and conflicts. It begins in the colonial period, progresses through the momentous developments of partition of the Subcontinent, exploitation and oppression of the Bangladesh during Pakistan time, the War of our Liberation and flourishes in a newly independent Bangladesh which secures its rightful place in the comity of nations. It is the story of a boy at a district town with an atlas in hand, dreaming of journeying through the world, without any idea how to realize that dream. In the end, joining the Foreign Service after completion of higher studies helped achieve that objective, living essentially the life of a musafir. There palpably are dangers on the road, predicaments and worries in various places far away from home, as the writer had faced in Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Syria, Jordan and in many other places. Travelling not just broadens one’s horizons, but also enhances fellow-feeling and understanding among nations and peoples. I hope the story will resonate well with the students, professionals as well as the general masses who dream to travel through the globe to enjoy the exquisite natural beauty of distant lands and expand knowledge by getting to know different peoples and cultures first hand.