HAM radio unites two long lost friends cross boundary in Bangladesh
Kolkata: The HAM radio enthusiasts from the state and bordering Bangladesh joined hands on Thursday to provide an opportunity to a septuagenarian in the city to interact with his friend who had permanently shifted to Bangladesh over five decades ago.
Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary of West Bengal Radio Club- an organisation of HAM radio operators in the state received a whatsApp message from a 75-year old identifying himself as Gautam Ray on Thursday morning requesting him to establish contact with his college friend Saifuddin Ahmed Chowdhury who had been settling in Bangladesh permanently since 1971. Ray informed that Chowdhury had joined as a teacher in a college or university in Dhaka. He further stated that Chowdhury had done BA in English from Scottish Church College in 1964 and completed MA from Calcutta University in 1969. He used to live at Andul, Howrah and was Ray’s batchmate from 1964-69.
Ray earnestly appealed to Biswas to make him talk with his college friend.
Biswas wasted no time and contacted Samsul Huda , who is the working president of Amateur Radio Society of Bangladesh. On the basis of the information provided within three and half hours, the Bangladeshi HAM team managed to locate Ahmed and made them talk over phone.
‘The emotions that gripped both these aged people were beyond words,’ Nag Biswas said.
It is learnt that Ahmed after relocating to Bangladesh settled at Kalyanpur and was associated with teaching of English and Drama at Jahangirnagar University and Dhaka University for many years. He, who is a bachelor, is still very much active in the drama arena in Bangladesh.
On the other hand, Ray had lost his wife a few years back and with his only daughter settled abroad is presently living alone in Tollygunge.
‘We will now be able to spend time conversing with each other over the telephone and relieve loneliness,’ Ray said.
‘It seems that a new sun has risen in both of our lives after so many years. I still think that I am in a dream,’ Ahmed said.
