There was a brief interaction with Mrs. Zia at Shugondha when she was in office as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Mrs. Zia reached out for my cheeks smilingly while granddad handed her a request for funding to build a cyclone center on a land he wanted to donate for flood victims in one of our ancestral villages. It was a long process, but we all went down to the village to see the center once it finally completed 8 years later. Ability to see the shoreline from its rooftop had me figure the necessity of the structure.

Around the same time, “Are you asking your mom to close the door?” out of nowhere a middle-aged man abruptly asked. I was surprised that someone followed my Bangla in the West. Man seemed too excited to find a Bengali and instantly began sharing a story about how he escaped from the Pakistani Civil War. Man shared that he lived in Chittagong with his family because of his father‘s employment. They had to begin their journey on foot with whatever they could carry and enough money. Interestingly their paths crossed with then Maj. Zia. He shared how Zia asked if anybody among them was able to drive. He was 14 years young back in 1971, responded that he was. Zia handed him his Army jeep’s key and said if they were able to afford gas, they’re welcome to use the jeep to the nearest Pakistan-India border. Man said driving from Chittagong to Indian-Pakistani border was an experience he could never forget!

Maj. Zia was assassinated. His widow is in jail on extortion charges. Enough stories can be uncovered on both of them via media, word-of-mouth, etc. These are stories I’m sure have never been mentioned anywhere. SAARC-an initiative Maj. Gen. took to develop a regional camaraderie, perhaps inspired by NATO, UN, etc.

Afghan currency rate has been down in the dumps for as long as I have lived, yet 0 derogatory remarks on the Macedonian-Mideastern breed! Pakistan has had several generations of Oxford grads as national leaders; not much horrific things are said about them in-spite poor economy and terrorism culture either. Gujarati/Punjabis seem to claim White privileges while Southerners assume the place of Blacks of Bharat. Bhutan and Nepal has always existed in fear sandwiched between 2 giants while Kashmiris look to enjoy position of God in Bangladesh. I wonder if Norwegians feel anything similar about Finnish. Americans about English?

Leaders of Sweden and Finland recently joined NATO 73 years post its formation for reasons good to their best judgment. Perhaps Motion Picture Center for SAARC at Bokjuri soon?