Twenty-one year old Katherine came to Bangladesh to do a course for her PhD degree. Dad was a university teacher, he wanted to be a teacher himself. The subject that Katherine was reading was called Development Economy. One has to go to the university of a developing country for one year to do a thesis on the economic condition and dynamics of that country. Katherine chose Bangladesh. Katherine never imagined that when she boarded a flight to Dhaka in 1967, she would form a soulful relationship with the people of the country where she was going, and she would never be able to break Maya's bond.
After coming to Bangladesh, Katherine accidentally met Ahmed Shafar. Catherine is fascinated by the eloquence of this outspoken and sharp-witted man. People in the vicinity used to call Chafar's house a madhouse. Because people from all over Kissim are coming there all day, eating, arguing, chatting - Katherine became a regular member of that crazy chat.
Katherine was born and raised in Chicago, USA. His family is very fundamental, with a lot of history and traditions associated with their family. Catherine's grandfather was a famous archaeologist who discovered numerous traces of the Inca civilization in Peru, exploring the deep rainforests of the Amazon. A movie called Indiana Jones has also been made based on his life story. All the family members were very highly educated. Some are professors, some are scientists, some are doctors - some are obsessed with discovery and research. Katherine knew she had to concentrate on her studies, and she was moving forward. His Bangladesh chapter hindered the mission.
Ahmed Shafa introduced Katherine to a tall young man one day and said, 'Katherine, meet my friend Tareq. He is a filmmaker. ' Katherine shook hands saying 'Nice to meet you', she didn't even think that the story of her life would be intimately connected with this man named Tareq Masood, she would fall in love with an unknown young man on the other side of Sat Sagar Tero river with all her heart's desire.
Katherine had a penchant for painting since childhood. He also used to draw. Tareq Masood was then making a documentary on the legendary painter SM Sultan, named Adam Surat. Dhaka is working today and Narail is running tomorrow. When Tareq Masood came to Dhaka, he was met by Katherine, the night was getting dark. Tareq Masood can cook very well, Katherine's fascination grows with her cooking. Ahmed Shafa felt it a little. With that excuse, he got up from the chat, giving the two of them a chance to get to know each other.
However, whether it is due to different culture or not, both of them became a little numb when Shafa got up. That did not escape the attention of Ahmed Shafa. He had fun with the two of them. She said to Katherine, 'Do you know, Tarek really likes you!' And Tareq said to Masood, 'Katherine is in love with you Mia, what magic!' Embarrassed, both of them avoided the issue with satisfaction. Shafa suggested to Katherine one day, 'You are so interested in art, can you work on a fabric documentary?' Catherine fell from the sky. He has no acquaintance with the film, nor is he very interested. It is true that he likes to hear the story of SM Sultan's varied life in Tareq's face, but how will he contribute to this project?
Tareq replied, "We have started editing. If you want, you can help me with the subtitles." Catherine gladly agreed. Katherine's journey to a different world began. Katherine doesn't know when Adam Surat fell in love with the film and Tareq. Without Vanita, he opened the fabric and told her everything. Tarek said that he also thinks of Katherine more than his friend. The beginning of love is between the two. But it turned out very strangely.
Speaking of 1982, it has been two years since Katherine came to Bangladesh. In all, Catherine's visa expired twice, each time renewed. For the third time, permission was not granted, because Katherine did not take classes at the university, and she did not get a permit from there. No one can stay in another country without a purpose. Tareq did not see Upayantar and said, 'If you don't mind, let's get married. Then you don't have to go to the trouble of visa-passport, you can legally stay in Bangladesh as my wife. '
Catherine agreed in one word. He did not tell anyone in the family, but one afternoon he got into a rickshaw and went to the office of a marriage registrar in Paltan to perform a court marriage. When he went there, he heard that it would take pictures to get married, he went out and found a studio, took pictures, washed them and went back in the afternoon. There was no arrangement, no plan, no one could drink a cup of tea that day, it was such an unpretentious situation. Tareq Masood also did not inform about the marriage at home. Catherine later wrote a letter to the family informing them of the marriage. They were upset after informing Tareq Masood's family, but as time went on, they accepted everything.
For the next two decades, the couple traveled hand-in-hand across the country. Made documentaries, made movies, traveled from Teknaf to Tentulia in search of stories and shooting spots. Gradually Katherine learns to understand the movie thing, getting acquainted with Tarek's other producers and artisan friends. In need of communication, Katherine has mastered the Bengali language on her own, so that no one gets embarrassed while talking to her. He was a man of winter country, he was breathing in the heat of Dhaka, he had to run to shoot in the hot sun, in the village. He never complained a single point, he endured everything, he adapted.
In an interview, Katherine was asked if she was living far away from her parents and siblings, the environment, the weather, the food, the language - everything was almost unknown. Doesn't feel bad? Catherine quickly replied, 'Why do you feel bad? I am with the man I love. How many people in this country work abroad, live alone, come to the country once in five-seven years, their parents, wife and children are all here. Yet they are not living abroad? I am better than them, my husband is by my side. I can go to America with my parents if I want. There is no reason to be bad.
Catherine knew nothing about the liberation war. After getting acquainted with Tareq Masood, he came to know about this glorious chapter of Bengali freedom struggle. Tareq Masood was young during the war of liberation and could not take part in the war. In his old age, he fought with the camera, portraying the liberation war in his own way on celluloid. While living with Tarek, singing liberation songs, talking about liberation or working on the ground, Katherine also became a close friend of the liberation war. The way this young woman from abroad has felt the sacrifice of three lakh martyrs or two lakh heroines with her heart, I can bet that millions of Bengalis have never tried to feel the liberation war like Catherine.
Tareq Masood and Katherine Masood - there were a lot of similarities between the two. Naturally, in habit, in love, in evil. There were also some discrepancies, where they complemented each other. Catherine kept the emotional Tariq Masood at bay. The daring constructions that were coming out of the hands of Tareq Masood, were constantly threatened, the cinema hall was not taking his movies. Katherine then placed a trusting hand on her husband's shoulder. The money that he has earned, he has poured behind all the movies, the house rent is left, the clothes he has worn are old, the two of them have run to the city without paying attention to them, have organized exhibitions, have taken the movie to the audience. Their wanderings were like fairy tales.
Then came the day of the thirteenth of August. Everyone went to Manikganj to see the shooting spot of paper flower movie. On the way back, the driver of their microbus tried to overtake a car and collided head-on with a bus coming from the other side. It was pitch black in front of Katherine. When he regained consciousness in the hospital, he found out that the man he loved was no more, Tareq Masood had died. Catherine fought back with death, she had to survive for the little baby!
Katherine now lives in America, their children are studying there. However, he came to Bangladesh every year according to the rules. He loved a man of this country by sacrificing everything. Destiny has taken the man away from him. He could not take away his memories. Across the capital city, the memory of Tarek is scattered all over the country. After coming to Bangladesh, Katherine went to those places and joined the chat of friends. She thinks that Tareq Masood is by her side like a shadow, she will hold her hand and give a smile, but Katherine doesn't get the desired touch.
This country, the film industry of this country has lost Tariq Masood, the shortage of talented producers like him will never be filled. On the day of 13th August, everyone remembers Tareq Masood. I remember today Katherine Masood, who has lost so much more, so much more important than us, who has lost the man of love forever. I see the picture of Katherine standing in front of the wreckage of the micro-vehicle in the Dhaka University area. The heart is filled with a strange kind of wailing. Katherine Masood, even though there is no one in this country who loves the country as much as we do, it is normal for a person to be upset by the pain ...
great article dear