Unlike most families, it was just me and my mother ever since I could remember. A child is brought up differently when they are under a single parent, but my overall family was always very connected. A family history that I would say affected my life and not only mine but also of generations before is my grandfather’s way of thinking, even back in the mid-90s. Back then, men were always asked to be career-focused and go for the jobs earned well and not to take any risks. Times were different, especially in South Asia, with British rule ending and the economy being far from stable. During those times, my grandfather studied physics, which meant he would do something related to that field of subject, but he didn’t. He graduated and decided he no longer cared for this subject, so he became a banker. Eventually, he climbed up the ranks without any degree or past training. Then a friend and colleague left the bank to start his own bank. In those days, private banks did not exist, especially in that economy; it would be Ludacris to start and run one. His friend left to start it, and crazily enough, my grandfather followed his excellent, good-money job for a startup. He took the risk, and now that bank, after over 50 years, is one of the largest private banks in Bangladesh and expanding rapidly. His self-righteousness was also something that is still spoken about to this day. During those times, it was effortless to move money around and steal from companies one was working at. It was common practice to do so, as everyone was in the run to get richer. He, however, did not ever do that and passed along his ways of life and teaching to his children and which in terms to grandchildren. During the brief early five years of my life, when my grandfather was alive, he brought me up well, preaching his teachings and making sure I tried new things no matter what the risk. The absence of a father surely resonates with the scars I have as an adult. Still, the presence of these learnings and family history that my grandfather started indeed will shape the adult I eventually wish to be.
In South Asia, especially in Bangladesh and nearby, there have been many wars and events that have shaped the country's history and the lives we live now. Every single one was crucial, and to choose only two would be a tough assignment. The two most vital, in my opinion, would be the rally of 21st February 1952 which now is a worldwide annual observance called International Mother Language Day. East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh, and West Pakistan, now known as Pakistan, were two geographically distinct sections of Pakistan when it was formed in 1947. The two sections differed significantly in terms of language and culture. India stood between the two halves, dividing them further. Bangladesh wished to be its own country due to the oppression of the language that everyone spoke in that region. There were other reasons as well, such as economic inequality and injustice. On 21st February, students from Dhaka University went to a rally around the city demanding the freedom to speak their own language. This event was one of the starting points of the liberation war, so Bangladesh got its independence. This event in my nation's history is important to me as it signifies the people's love for their language to the point they went to war. It creates a deep bond and love for the language and a wish to preserve its essence of it for generations to come. Even though English is a global language that is spoken by everybody all around the world, this event in terms helps me to stay close to my roots and not forget my own mother language.
A second event for sure would be the 1971 Liberation War. This is one of the most, if not the most, important events in my nation's history. This helped us as a nation be free from the shackles of Pakistan, and even with the sacrifice of millions of lives, we stood out in the end and won. This shaped the country and the life I and everyone else in my country lived. Without this, our country would be in the same stage as countries like Palestine. Every year the nation mourns the martyrs and celebrates the victory over Pakistan, reminding us that this country was formed through a love of language and a want for freedom. As a citizen, I make sure to further its economy and make it blossom.
Even though, like many countries, my country faces many issues, such as Freedom of Speech, I wish to eventually be a journalist and an activist to solve problems, whichever is possible, as I wish to preserve and grow this country in which I was born into better and stronger than ever before.
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