Follow Your Dream at All Costs
They always tell us, at least in the movies that you can be whatever you want to be – 'just follow your dream'. Some people take this advice a bit too literally and don't realise that you need to fulfill certain requirements before you can even think of following your dream. If you want to be a scientist, you should have at least some science education. If you want to be a famous musician at least know which way to hold the instrument.
Thirty-year-old 'Dr' Abdul Kayum for instance, studied humanities and commerce but managed to become a pediatrician with his own chamber. (The Daily Star, July 21, 2014).
According to the report he claimed to be a specialist in treating infants especially newborns as he had impressive medical degrees in pediatric care. Perhaps being a pediatrician was his long cherished dream and he decided to follow it in any way possible without going into the trivial detail of studying medicine. Instead, he bought a medical certificate for a few lakh taka and claimed to have training at a hospital he could not give the location of to the Rab officials who caught him. He was with a patient at the time of this untimely demise of his career but not before making thousands from his other little patients.
Everyone in fact, is following their dream. An imam of a mosque of the Civil Aviation Authority was most likely following his dream of getting rich, earning a little extra before Eid by smuggling in 18 bars of gold and a few US grand in his shorts when he was caught at Shahjalal airport. Maybe he was double-crossed by other players in the game. Maybe he couldn't walk straight with so much gold in his underclothes. The point is he trained to lead men in prayer but in his heart he craved for the ultimate symbol of worldliness – gold. He followed his dream but alas for him, he got a rude wake up call.
In another part of town we have an engineer and other officials of a ministry presumably with the relevant degrees, who have trained for public service and development work – but who seem to have a fetish for, of all things, cars, especially those they do not have to pay for or are not entitled to. It is their dream and they are following it. According to a Daily Star report a project engineer of a very important ministry managed to have at his disposal two cars acquired under the project – one for his wife another for his ex wife. This may indicate the existence of another dream – to be the ultimate henpecked husband.
The report also mentioned that this was a common practice among officials – to get the use of a project car meant for official purposes and a drop to and from home, and then 'lend' the car to various ministers, secretaries and other officials who will approve the project and make sure the audits go easy on them. It goes without saying that all these cars must be luxury vehicles in accordance with the important position the users hold. In other words 'dream cars' for the recipients.
In the crowded streets where vendors sell goods on the footpaths and buses stop anywhere they want, the cops are busy pursuing their dream of having a very lucrative Eid.
Meanwhile you have those strange individuals who have dreams of being known as 'Muktijodhas' despite having nothing to do with the Muktijoddho (Liberation War). They have managed to get certificates confirming their participation in the War that gave us our freedom. The only hitch is that according to their present age they would have been minors at the time of the War. One such individual, according to a report, would have been only 13. It is curious that we did not know of so many child guerillas – something we associate with certain warring African countries. Obviously their fantasy of being known as Muktijodhas, along with the benefits that may come with it, have got the better of them.
The urge to follow one's dream, truth be dammed, is everywhere.
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