Hasina, Khaleda hail the first Bangladeshi conqueror , Everest beckoned Musa when he was 9-yr-old

Tuesday, 25 May 2010 15:40

Some peaks of the Himalayas are visible from Thakurgaon where Musa grew up.

“I once took him to the Jagaddal Hat of Thakurgaon to show him a peak of the mountain,” said Musa's father Ansar Ali, “Musa was merely a boy of nine years old then, and he was amazed by the view”.

“We never heard about his dream of conquering Everest until he completed his university degree,” said the proud father of Musa Ibrahim, the first Bangladeshi Everest conqueror.

Ansar Ali said he had been discouraging Musa ever since he became aware of the venture. But Musa had firm determination to achieve his goal of reaching the summit, and he did it successfully, he added.

The father now wishes for Musa's safe return.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday greeted him for his great venture.

Ansar Ali and his daughter Noor Ayesha Moni came to The Daily Star office on a courtesy visit yesterday.

Both his mother and I never liked his idea of scaling Everest, Ansar said.

But now the parents of Musa, a sub-editor of The Daily Star, are proud of their son.

Musa's wife Soraban Tahura Rimi, an assistant judge in Mymensingh, yesterday described his financial crisis before going to Everest.

On April 7, Musa asked her to come to Dhaka, and said if he does not find any other way, he would set off for his target on foot, Rimi said.

It was only four months of their marriage when he left to conquer Chulu in May 2007, and she being dependent on her husband had to go through a difficult period then, she said.

Now she is awaiting him with great pride.

“Since then I have learnt to live alone and became habituated,” she said.

Musa even went to Langsisa Ri for about one month when the age of their baby was just 14 days, and within the one and half years of their son's birth he went to different peaks of the Himalayas thrice, she continued.

This time he was scheduled to leave for Nepal on April 2, but he failed to manage any sponsorship by April 1, Rimi mentioned.

“One day I saw his gloomy face, and when asked, he said that he could manage only Tk 12 lakh where he required around Tk 45 lakh,” said Musa's wife.

Matiur Rahman, editor of the Daily Prothom Alo, tried his best to help Musa collect the amount but could only manage a portion of that, she said.

Musa then as a last resort called his elder sister Ayesha who works in UN Mission in Sudan, and asked for money.

Ayesha said “I gave him money since he wanted to do it by any means”.

Musa got back to the advanced base camp at 8,300 metres of the Himalayas yesterday evening, reported Deutsche Welle, Bangla service, quoting Ishawri Paudel, the managing director of the Himalayan Guide.

He will be back to the Everest base camp today.

GREETINGS FOR MUSA
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday greeted mountaineer Musa Ibrahim for conquering Mount Everest as the first Bangladeshi.

In a message, the premier said Musa has glorified the image of the country in the world by hoisting red-green flag of Bangladesh on the world's highest peak.

Hasina said wishing him all success, “By conquering Mount Everest, Musa proved that Bangalee is a brave nation”.

Khaleda Zia, the opposition leader, also greeted him, and said Musa made us proud.

In a separate message, State Minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarkar and Zahid Ahsan Russell, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on youth and sport ministry also congratulated Musa Ibrahim. Secretary General of Jatiya Party Sheikh Shahidul Islam greeted him for his achievement.

The teachers, students and officials of the Institute of Education and Research of Dhaka University, where Musa used to study, greeted him for the remarkable achievement.

source: The Daily Star