<i>Cheers for country, debt for conqueror</i>

Musa Ibrahim, left, holding the national flag on Mount Everest on this day a year ago.Photo: File Photo

Exactly one year back, he conquered the Mount Everest to become the toast of Bangladesh. The whole nation saw him for the first time with incredible awe. A sturdy young man with a broad smile all over his face handed them a mountain of pride out ofthe blue. And how distinctly different that feat was! This unheralded adventurer did it all alone. The country did not have to spend a single penny or do any favour for this amazing achievement. He is the hero of a few heroes we have, a new household name--Musa Ibrahim. This success-starved nation missed no chance to celebrate the extraordinary feat. An unprecedented euphoria and frenzy went on for days, weeks and months across the country, with top politicians seizing the spotlights. Reception after reception was accorded in his honour, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leading the way. He was not used to this level of public attention. He is a journalist, a person behind the news. Well, it happens even when a journalist himself becomes news of this magnitude. Musa was truly soaked in love. With the bouquets in last one year, he could have built a small flower hill at his backyard. Ironically though, flowers only could fill his heart. But reality presses him for a different requirement--- the money. It leaves him with an uphill task of repaying the hefty loan he committed a year back to support his desperate Everest mission. Thanks to the nature of the profession, all journalists take risks. But Musa set his eyes beyond the profession and on a bigger risk. It was rather a strange ambition for a person from an ordinary middle class family. It required a world of courage, conviction and commitment to pursue such dream, let alone making it true. Musa lived up to his dream fully. An Everest adventure is awfully expensive. He worked on his budget in the most conservative manner yet it crossed Tk 46 lakh. He could arrange Tk 11.50 lakh from a couple of sponsors after months of persuasion. Promises were there but those were not kept when date for the mission drew nearer. Musa went to everybody he knew and tried in vain to convince them. Some of who talked positively earlier reacted angrily at his request. He was certainly down in dumps but never gave up hope. Rejection got his resolve stronger. He became a man possessed, completely oblivious of the fact that he was on the verge of losing his job and ruining his family life with this obsession for the adventure. When no further financial support came in, he got more desperate. He finally shored up the deficit by exhausting the savings of his wife and bank account of his married sister. With a steely determination, he raised above all the odds to accomplish his dream and brought a huge occasion for the country to celebrate. The country celebrated it indeed. But, unlike the way it celebrated any other achievement in the sports arena. We all saw how each government went gaga over any international match by our cricketers and footballers. Cash bonanza, flats, lands and whatnots flowed in so automatically from governments and as well as from entrepreneurs for very rare good performances in World Cups or a cricket match series. We never thought of taking away those gifts when those heroes bit the dust in next matches. So strong is our patience and passion for those fickle performers! Musa did not for sure think of making money by conquering the Everest. Neither the government nor any companies, except for Dhaka Bank, came forward to offer a cash reward that goes well with an achiever like him. He has featured in an advertisement of Shah Cement, earnings of which he handed over to his sister along with Dhaka Bank's Tk 5 lakh. Only Tk 11 lakh is repaid, and he knows he needs to do a lot more before he gets out of the red. His organisation, the North Alpine Club, organised an exhibition on photos taken by him on the Everest and a swimming event where he crossed the Bangla Channel (sea channel from Teknaf to St Martin's). Bangla Academy is about to bring out a book on his adventure. Money is being raised at a snail's pace. He is planning some more events that would spin money. But one thing he will never plan is to seek money from others to repay the loan. "I have to move on and get things done for myself. In no way I can stay stuck in loan," says Musa with a smile. He looks so solid and serene in his dignity. His Everest success is savoured by all but his loan is shared by none. Musa has learnt to live with that reality.