‘If you lie, you can make a good profit as well as you can prevail as a good friend and colleague. Neither did I want to lie nor did I want to profit by fooling others. There’s no glory in these.’ This is what Md Mostafa said today, and once again I was amazed by a random stranger. Md Mostafa, an ex-driver and a boatman from Noakhali walked many roads and lived many lives in his journey on earth to date.
He was born and raised in Swahdweep, a small island in the Bay of Bengal which falls in Chattogram District. Now he lives in Shubornochar, Noakhali. In his early life, he started working as a fisherman but later switched to the driving profession as he could not make much for his living from fishing. After a few years of being a helper/ co-driver at one stage, he managed to get a professional driving license for a long vehicle (transporter). He used to earn quite more than what he earns now being a boatman but left the job willingly.
While hearing his story, I was curious to know what has made him leave that well-paid profession, which ultimately resulted in being a boatman. Then he revealed an inside story of our transportation sector, how drivers are fooling their masters, and how their masters are suppressing them every day. Well, maybe we can discuss those inside stories some other day. Md Mostafa has neither liked living life to someone else’s desire nor did he want to earn corrupt money. So, with his prior knowledge, he ended up as a boatman.
He has bought this boat, which was used to be a fishing trawler eleven years back by Taka-95,000 ($1100/ Though today it is worth much more). And later he has spent few thousand more to make it suitable to ferry people, goods, cattle, etc. Today he is the master of himself. He does not work for anybody but him only. He works, when he wants to work, he sleeps when he wants to sleep. He always keeps his light sleeping arrangements in his boat. Sometimes he rests in the middle of the river, sometimes he rests at the bank of the river, sometimes he takes his boat up to his home and sleeps there.
Md Mostafa, is Repairing His Own Boat
Today Md Mostafa is a father of seven children. Among them four are daughters, and three are sons. With all the difficulties he overcame to date, he is a happy man today. Three of his daughters are married, and one is studying, while all three of his sons are studying. His life neither offered him any charm nor any comfort. Rather he was encountered by pirates thirteen times, his land has been gulped by the river, and faced many other odds including accidents. But, after all the struggles of years after years today he lives his own life, his four children go to school, he has his own house and cultivable land, and he is living a happy life with absolutely no resentment.
His charismatic personality, honesty-integrity, commitment, dedication, and knowledge of life-saving skills made him an admirable person in his neighborhood. My boatman today failed to keep his commitment, which forced me to wait there for an hour. Despite knowing that it would be dark to reach the other end of the river, I did not become mad at him, because I never do so. Rather I have enjoyed that hour talking to this gentleman and thanked Almighty Allah for this blessing in disguise.
I know there are many more, Md Mostafa, around us, whose stories are neither heard by most of us nor they are shared by anyone. I am on a mission to unfold these stories of our unsung heroes, for whom we can dream of a better world tomorrow. If you have a story to share please contact us. If you still do not have any story in hand, share ours.
