The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bangladesh's pioneering surfer

Agencies

Surfing is normally associated with places like Hawaii, California and Australia's Bondi Beach, but the sport has now even reached as far as the coast of Bangladesh.

Cox's Bazaar, in the country's remote south-east, is better known for its cyclones and vulnerability to rising sea levels, but it also boasts of having, at 125km (78 miles), the world's longest unbroken sandy beach.

According to the man who claims to be Bangladesh's first surfer, Zafar Alam, it also has great surf.

"When I'm riding the waves it feels like I'm on a speedboat and I just love that feeling," he says.

No leash

Before Zafar, the only people who surfed here were the occasional, intrepid foreign tourists. Ten years ago he was able to persuade one of them, an Australian man, to leave him his board.

"He asked for $200, but I was so young I didn't even know what a dollar was, so I gave him 200 taka" (the local currency which is worth considerably less).

"In those days I didn't know how to stand up on the board, and it was very difficult because I didn't have a leash," he said. A leash is the string that attaches the board to the surfer's ankle and prevents it from being dragged away by the waves and the tide.

"I then saw people surfing on the television so I knew what to do and the next morning I tried to stand on the board for the first time."

His family was terrified because they had never seen anything like this before. Many fishermen and Bangladeshi tourists drown here every year.

"My mum sometimes cries. She thinks I will die in the ocean. But I tell her it is ok, that I love surfing."

In fact, Zafar used his new skills to save an astonishing number of lives - he says he has dragged 70 drowning people out of the water.

"Most Bangladeshis don't know how to swim and the currents and the waves here can be dangerous. All the time I have to rescue them."

In 2001, Zafar was spotted by Tom Bauer, a surfer from Honolulu, Hawaii, who runs Surfing the Nations, a charity "that seeks to give communitiest a message of love and hope through the sport of surfing and acts of selfless service".

He believes that "surfing can be used as a powerful tool to bring about positive change".

In Bangladesh that has meant enough equipment for Zafar to set up the country's first surf club, and an annual surf tournament. He now coaches about 70 young men and women.

Persuading them to take part is the hardest task, because the region's traditions discourage women from spending time with young men in public.

Cox's Bazaar is one of Bangladesh's most religiously conservative areas as well, so many women here wear the all-encompassing burka. This is not a place for bikinis and tight-fitting wet suits.

In spite of this, Zafar is hopeful that more and more people will take up the sport.

"When I started I was out there in the water all alone. But now I want there to be thousands and thousands of surfers here in Bangladesh."

FF killed in Magura

UNB, Magura

The body of a freedom fighter was recovered from a latrine tank at Basho village in Mohammadpur upazila Thursday afternoon.

Family sources said freedom fighter Jafar Biswas, 60, was missing for last three days.

Jafar had a long standing dispute with his rival in the village, said police adding that he might have been killed following the rivalry.

A case was filled in this connection but, none was arrested.

Man strangles wife for dowry in Gazipur

UNB, Gazipur

A pregnant housewife was strangulated to death allegedly by her husband in Harinal area of the district town on Thursday due to dowry.

The deceased was identified as Farida Parvin, 22, wife of Delwar.

Family sources said Delwar married Parvin six months back. But, he used to torture Parvin due to dowry demand since their marriage.

On the fateful day, Delwar beat up Parvin and strangled her following a feud at noon.

Police arrested Delwar in this connection. A case was filed.

Attacks on BNP's men: Delwar censures Home Minister's comment

UNB, Dhaka

BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain has censured Home Minister Shahara Khatun's remarks describing what he called the countrywide terrorist attacks by Awami League goons, looting and killing of BNP leaders and workers as outcome of BNP's intra-party conflict.

In a press statement yesterday, he said that so far, 13 people were killed and innumerable others injured from the day after the December 29 elections. These reports were published in national and international media, he added.

"The Home Minister took recourse to falsehoods to cover up the terrorist acts by her party's leaders and workers," Delwar said, adding "through this, terrorism is being patronized and the Awami character of falsehood was nakedly exposed again."

The BNP leader alleged that the leaders and workers of Awami League have launched repression and torture on BNP men and general people. Despite repeated complaints, he said the government did not take any action. On the contrary, the government blames BNP, encouraging the terrorists.

"The government mindset of patronizing terrorism will only contribute to the spread of terrorism," he said, adding people expect responsible role of an experienced politician like the Home Minister.

Delwar said the government, without shifting the blame on BNP, should take action against the terrorists of its own party and concentrate on ensuring security of the public life and property.

Emphasis on modernizing Islamic education

DU Correspondent

A total of 40 teachers of different universities, training centers and madrashas took training on Modernizing Islamic Education Teaching Method at the conference room of BANBEIS.

A three-day long training programme, organized by Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO (BNCU) with the support of Islamic Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (IESCO), emphasised to learn Islamic teaching method using modern technology.

In the closing ceremony, speakers urged the trainees to explore the earned knowledge in their respective field so that people can receive Islamic knowledge easily.

Later, the trainees received certificates from the resources persons of the programme where additional secretary for education Mozammel Haq Khan was chief guest.

Besides, regional director of IESCO Dr Abbas Sadri, internal expert of Pakistan Dr Fakar Hamid, among others, were present in the programme with BNCU Secretary Dr Mahmudul Hasan in the chair.