Towheed Feroze
Dhaka, May 27 (bdnews24.com) – British TV presenter Konnie Huq has done quite a lot in her life and definitely things that, well, will leave the average girl a little out of breath. From scuba diving to bungee jumping to learning to be a rally driver, she has tried her hand at all kinds of adventure with the cameras rolling.
But, for Huq, the spirit of adventure does not always have to be something exotic. It can also mean standing for a photograph on the mad streets of Dhaka.
As she deftly negotiated the mini ponds of puddle and stagnant rain-water on a road in Baridhara, Huq, part of a British Bangladeshi young professional group, was more than happy to strike a pose on one side.
"I am enjoying this" is what she said when a car zoomed by and a group of homecoming garment workers brushed her past in speed.
Not too far away, a large construction mixing machine was in operation in full throttle, the noise was deafening, the sky looked dark and about to open up and the British Bangladeshi seemed very content to be in Dhaka.
Huq is mostly known for her association with the famed TV programme Blue Peter and today in the UK she is a celebrity. Does she get recognised on the streets? Well, in Dhaka she may be an unknown face, but in the UK, people walk up to her and ask her for her autograph.
But, if the young presenter cum actor's desire to try out new things is anything to go by, then it may be a matter of time before she is recognised in Bangladesh.
Visiting Bangladesh as part of a British government sponsored trip of successful Brit Bangladeshis, two of her major objectives are to share ideas, thoughts with the people here and show that second and third generation Bangladeshis are breaking away from the stereotyped restaurant business. That they are making their presence felt in other areas too, including media, business, academia and sports.
And, the TV presenter is impressed at how the young generation of today's Bangladesh manage to express their views openly and are flexible to debate and healthy argument.
But Huq also wants to be deeply associated with Bangladesh in different projects. A connoisseur of good films, she becomes vociferously passionate talking about the Clay Bird, a critically acclaimed movie by Tareq Masud.
"I would also love to act in Bangla films or even movies that are bi-lingual," says Huq and her excitement is too visible to ignore.
But won't there always be the language barrier? Like many Brit Bangladeshis, Huq's Bangla at the moment is not that fluent but what has to be appreciated is her dogged willingness to try.
"Ami chesta korbo," she assures and adds with conviction, 'give me a month in Bangladesh and I will speak it like anyone else.' Now, how can we not be taken in by that amount of enthusiasm!
Walking on the Dhaka streets, she acknowledges the positive things and glows as she enters a shop selling Bangladeshi silk.
"I am overwhelmed by the variety of materials available," comes a giddy remark and Huq goes into selecting which one she wants to buy. Coming out of the shop, she is face to face with the legendary Dhaka traffic but though there are many grumpy faces around, the Brit Bangladeshi is beaming.
She has bought some great silk, is enjoying the buzzing life of Dhaka and is harbouring the dream of acting in a locally produced film.
In between, she reminds that she is originally from Pabna and, when someone utters an age-old saying 'a person from Pabna has no bhabna (tension), she nods agreement. Huq may have no tensions but she has aspirations in which Bangladesh plays a major role.
"I would love to be in a film that looks at Brit Bangladeshi lifestyle," she reminds us and we hope that her desire reaches the right places.
But for the moment she is busy making plans for her new apartment in London where the decoration will have the silk she bought. And, it's silk from Bangladesh. A perfect example of British-Bangladeshi bond, won't you say!
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