INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Editor’s Desktop
President’s Talk
Service Project
Proceedings of the fortnightly meeting
of RCDW
Travel- A memorable visit to Agartala:
down the memory lane: 1971
Travel- London Summer

President General Secretary eNewsletter Editor

Rtn. Mushtaque Habib Rtn. Shahriar Iqbal Raj Rtn. PP Dr. Tanvir A. Khan
Cover Photo
Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka
Photo Credit
Rtn. Shahriar Iqbal Raj
 Editor’s
Desktop
Happy Rotary New Year 2023-24! would be present on September 6 and this would be an
opportunity for the Senior Rotarians to receive the award

L ast year ended nicely with a warm & great fellowship

with a sizable number of projects. The last one was the
Community Service project, providing assistance to Rasel
from them.

As initiated from the June 2023 issue, we would like to

of Gulshan Club to rebuild his village home before the include Journeys made by Rotarians. We have requested
onset of rains. two Rotarians on their recent visits.

The Upcoming projects of this year would be challenging Hope all of you enjoy the Reflection of July 2023.
as well. The Board has etched out projects in all spheres of
Best wishes!
Rotary (Community, Vocational, International, Club, etc.).
We will continue with our Signature projects as well. Rotarianly,
Rtn. PP Dr. Tanvir A. Khan
The 40th Anniversary, Installation and Governor’s Club Visit
Editor, The Reflection
has been planned for September 6, 2023. This year the
40th year of RCDW will be commemorated in a joyous
manner. People are accustomed to Silver, Golden,
Platinum, and Centennial celebrations.

People might ask why the 40th is so important to RCDW. It

is not special, but we must realize that our members are
mostly Past Presidents and most of them are over 70 years
old. It provides them with an opportunity to be felicitated
on this day and for their contribution to be recognized.

A few RCDW members are also Octogenarians, and they

should be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award
from the Club. The Chief Guest and the District Governor
© District9940, Roraty

2 July I 2023 rotary.org

rotary.org July I 2023 3
 Is it for us to
have a chronicle of
our fellowship, ac-
complishments,
adventures, and
services, lest we
forget to feel good
about ourselves
later?

President’s

Talk
I
am so happy that we again have a regular monthly
newsletter, Reflection. I must take this opportunity to
thank and congratulate Shahriar Iqbal Raj for not only
name Reflections! I should have realized the title is the
answer to my original question.
This month we are accomplishing another RCDW
taking on the responsibility, but
signature service project. We
also wowing us all with such
are sponsoring twenty
creative presentation and
students for Vocational Training
interesting content.
at the Ahsania Mission Centers
Why do we need a newsletter,? to become Beauticians and
I have often wondered. After all, Electrical Technicians. Next
we ourselves are the major month, like always, we will
actors in all the stories, it is all embark on another worthwhile
about what we did last month, service project to savor that
then why do we need to wonderful feeling of giving.
document it? Is it for us to have
Preparations have begun for
a chronicle of our fellowship,
the District Governors Club
accomplishments, adventures,
visit, Installation ceremony, and
and services, lest we forget to
40 Years of RCDW celebrations
feel good about ourselves later?
on 6th September 2023 at the
It seems to be a mirror wherein
Crystal Palace in Gulshan Club.
we can take joy in our individual
Save the date!
and collective image, hence the

4 July I 2023 rotary.org

 E conomic and community development is one of
Rotary’s six areas of focus. Unemployment, under-
employment, lack of economic opportunities, lack of
appropriate training, and the absence of social safety
nets lie at the core of poverty.

In a significant event, Rtn. PP AGMS Shamsul Kamal,

the esteemed senior member of RCDW, symbolized the
achievement of yet another notable signature service
project. He presented the sponsorship check to the
representative of Ahsania Mission's Vocational Training
Center, commemorating this remarkable accomplish-
ment. The Club's dedication came to fruition as they
wholeheartedly sponsored twenty students for voca-
tional training at the prestigious Ahsania Mission
Centers. This initiative is designed to empower these
students with the skills needed to embark on careers
as skilled beauticians and adept electrical technicians.
Thus, these twenty trained individuals will be equipped
to elevate the economic conditions of their families and
encourage community development.

The project not only exemplifies the club's unwavering

commitment to economic and community devel-
opment but also engenders a profound sense of grat-
ification and compassion among its members as they
actively contribute to creating a positive impact through
their philanthropic efforts.

rotary.org July I 2023 5


Proceedings of the fortnightly
meeting of RCDW
July 07, at 1.30 pm at the Gulshan Club
R tn Mushtaque Habib, President of
RCDW for the year 2023-2024,
called the fortnightly meeting to order.
The President thanked everyone for
attending and welcomed them to the
first meeting of 2023-24.
Agenda 1- Invocation:
The invocation was led from memory
by Rtn. PP Dr. Tanvir Khan.
Agenda 2 - Birthdays & Anniversaries:
Agenda 3 - Discussion about the
Installation Program:
Rtn Bazlur Rahman, on behalf of all club
members, voluntarily thanked Rtn
Mushtaque Habib for continuing his
second term as the President of the Club.
The President opened the floor for
discussion and sharing personal
experiences regarding the Installation
Program. Rtn Assaduzzaman
Chowdhury, PHF, and Rtn Dr. A K M
6 July I 2023
Rafiquzzaman, phf, shared their
experiences regarding The 87th
installation of RC Dhaka at Hotel
Radisson Blu and mentioned how
seven members of RCDW were
awarded crests for their 40 years of
service to the Club.
Rtn Dr. Tanvir Ahmed, PHF, recalled
the experience when Rtn Shekhar
Mehta, PI-2021-2022, visited one of
the Rotary projects and delivered his
motivational speech. Shekhar Mehta is
a very energetic person and is actively
involved in running the Rotary
operations. His activities attracted a
good number of young Rotarians to
serve their respective clubs.
Other club members discussed the
importance of staying connected with
Rotary District activities, and RDCW
should consider collaborative activities
with other Rotary clubs.
The President announced September
PRESENTED MEMBERS
Rtn Mushtaque Habib
Rtn Abdul Baten
Rtn Dr. Tanvir Khan
Rtn Rafiqul Islam
Rtn HQ Chowdhury
Rtn Asaduzzaman Chowdhury
Rtn Dr. Rafiquzzaman
Rtn M Nazrul Islam
Rtn Dr. Raghib Manzoor
Rtn Shahriar Iqbal Raj
Rtn Shireen Scheik Mainuddin
Rtn. Maj Gen Fazal ur Rahman
Rtn Bazlur Rahman
Brig Gen Sakhawat Hossain
This year, the club aims
to support 20 students
in vocational training
under Ahsania Mission
- Technical &
Vocational Education
and Training (TVET)
6, 2023, as the proposed date for the
installation and requested club
members to propose names for the
installation Chief Guest and suggest
themes for the Chief Guest’s speech
for the upcoming installation program.
Agenda 4 - Installation
Venue and
Core Responsibility of the
President-Elect:
During the meeting, the President
proposed that the President-Elect
should take responsibility for arranging
the program, and all present members
in the meeting agreed to hold the
installation at Gulshan Club. All
members agreed to actively contribute
to the upcoming installation according
to their capacities and provide updates
in the next meeting.
Agenda - Prayer for Rtn
5
Mohammod Abdul Baten’s Mother:
Rtn Mohammod Abdul Baten informed
the club that his mother is sick and
rotary.org
 Rtn Dr. Zahid Hasan adressing the members Rtn Bazlur Rahman is welcoming the New President (2023-2024) Rtn Mushtaque Habib

hospitalized at the United Hospital for budget of 2,00,000 for the Service Agenda 7 - Miscellaneous:
better treatment. The club members Project involving twenty students at
The Treasurer Rtn Rafiqul Islam
expressed their concern and wished Ahsania Mission Vocational Training
mentioned that there's still time to
her a quick recovery. Rtn Rafiqul Islam Center will be collected on time. The
remove the name of any member from
recited from the Quran and requested funds will be allocated to initiate the
the RI list who is unwilling to continue.
a Dua for Allah's mercy to grant her a service in August ’23.
swift recovery. President Rtn Mushtaque Habib
Contribution committed to-date: expressed his proposal to lower the
Agenda 6 - Fund collection for the average age of the Club by attracting
Service Project Mushtaque Habib Tk. 50,000 prospective young members. He also
Dr. Tanvir Ahmed Khan Tk. 50,000 highlighted the 7 Focused Areas as
Rtn Mushtaque Habib explained the
declared by RI.
key service project of the Club. This Dr. Rafiquzzaman Tk. 20,000
year, the club aims to support 20 Shireen Scheik Mainuddin Tk. 10,000 Members enjoyed a sumptuous lunch
students in vocational training under provided by Gulshan Club. Since no
Maj Gen Fazal Ur Rahman Tk. 5,000 further business needed to be
Ahsania Mission - Technical &
Vocational Education and Training Dr. Rafiqul Islam Tk. 5,000 addressed, President Rtn. Mushtaque
(TVET). Among these twenty students, adjourned the meeting with thanks
Dr. Zahid Hasan Tk. 5,000
10 female students will receive training from the chair.
Shamsul Kamal Tk. 5,000
as beauticians, and 10 male students
will undergo training as Electrical HQ Chowdhury Tk. 5,000
Technicians. Ahsania Mission will not Shahriar Iqbal Raj Tk. 5,000
only provide them with training but
Bazlur Rahman Tk. 5,000
also strive to secure their professional Attendance on behalf of Sergeant at Arms:

placements. Brig Gen Sakhawat Hossain Tk. 5,000 Total Members: 30

Prof. Mohiuddin: Tk. 5,000 Exempted for Leave: 03
Club Treasurer Rtn Rafiqul Islam Members present 14
TOTAL TO-DATE: Tk. 1,75,000
informed the club that the estimated Percentage: 52.00%

rotary.org July I 2023 7

 Travel
A MEMORABLE VISIT
TO AGARTALA: DOWN
THE MEMORY LANE:
1971
Rtn Brig Gen (R ) Sakhawat Hussain PhD
It is said that ‘historically agar tree is re-
ferred to in the story of King Raghu who
tied up his elephant’s feet to an agar tree
on the banks of River Lauhitya’.
W hen we crossed the Indian immigration without much
fuss, except for a bit of hassle for me as the computer
was not confirming my visa for some time, we were on the
outskirt of the nearest city, the capital of the Eastern state of
India Agartala, very near one may adventure walking into
from Akhaura of Brahman Baria (B Baria), Eastern district of
Bangladesh. It was July 1, 2023, and my Indian visa was to
expire on July 4, 2023, so we planned our visit within that
time and space. It was inaccessibly raining. Perhaps we
8 July I 2023
Neermahal royal palace, Tripura,India
carried it along with us all throughout our journey by road
from Dhaka. The clearance of home immigration was made
hassle-free courtesy of Superintendent of Police B Baria. It
was not a smooth ride from Narsingdi to B Baria, almost like
riding an unwieldy horse.
Seven of us, out of our usual travel group, with two couples
Dr. Tanvir and Mr. Habib who were nostalgic about Agartala
as he escaped through the Tripura border to join the
liberation war in 1971. Mr. Habib is a valiant ‘unsung freedom
fighter’ among us, a pioneer of the daily morning gathering
at his house, known to us as ‘Darbar’, an almost everyday
ritual, a breakfast adda. This adda is a continuation ritual
going on for the last 24 years, something one of its kind I
believe. Credit goes to this strange but unusual man for us
to become internal and external tourists. All my travelogues
could not be written without this gang. The others were,
beside me, Mr. Amanullah, an industrialist with many
attributes, who gave an open understanding that he would
go with us anywhere he had not been there anytime.
Nevertheless, rain or no rain we reached ‘Hotel Welcome’
in the heart of the city of Agartala. Agartala is another Indian
state capital that is mainly Bangla speaking proportionately
more than Kolkata. I was time traveling through the events
on or around 1968 when Bangabandhu Sk. Mujibur Rahman,
then leading opposition to Pakistan’s strong man Field
Marshal Ayub Khan, was implicated in a so-called anti-
Pakistan conspiracy case, “Known as Agartala Shorojontro”,
(a sedition case) aiming to make the then East Pakistan into
a sovereign independent country with the help of India. The
rotary.org
case was withdrawn under mass carriage road reminded me of the astoundingly green. Obviously, the
uprising and Sk. Mujibur Rahman and ‘Gausia or New Market’ area of Dhaka second largest city of Indian Northeast
others were released which gave force may be of Comilla. The road is full of has a thin population of 5.7 lacs
to the liberation war just after 3 years. motorcycles and other mechanical proportionately less than Dhaka’s 17
Unusual United Pakistan survived 24 vehicles. Sari-clad women and modern constituency. The state governor,
years exactly as the last viceroy of jeans top and skirt-clad young boys and Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) is ruling the
British India Lord Mountbatten girls swarmed nearby cafeterias and state now.
predicted.
Agar and tala are two
The hotel was not superlative In 1968 when Bangabandhu Sk. Mujibur different words. Agar is ‘a
but OK. The rain never left us. valuable perfume and
Rahman, then leading opposition to
It was a summer evening and incense tree of
the weather was as sultry as we Pakistan’s strong man Field Marshal Ayub genus Aquilaria, and tala we
felt in or around B Baria. The Khan, was implicated in a so-called anti- all understand as
majority of the hotel underneath’. It is said that
employees had roots around
Pakistan conspiracy case, “Known as ‘historically agar tree is
Comilla or B Baria and as far as Agartala Shorojontro”. referred to in the story of
Noakhali. Likely to be as history King Raghu who tied up his
says, there was no district known as elephant’s feet to an agar tree on the
coffee shops including the restaurant
Comilla which was part of Tripura. banks of River Lauhitya’. That’s how the
of the hotel where we were having
Comilla district of Bangladesh has a name came. The city is over 2449 km
dinner with loud pre-recorded music.
market named ‘Tipra Bazar’, once upon away from India’s capital Delhi as
a time known as Tripura Bazar The next morning, we first decided to Bangladesh is wedged between the
populated by the Tipra clan. The go 50 km away to ‘Melaghar’ a name eastern states of India with rest. Very
famous music director and singer of and place associated with our soon Agartala will be directly linked with
the Sub-continent Mr. Sachin Dev (SD) liberation war that housed thousands Kolkata through transit given by
Barman, who had lineage to Maharaja of refugees fleeing from Pakistani Bangladesh.
Tripura, lived in Comilla still his senseless persecution. Mr. Khan had
As we moved out of the city, we
dilapidated ‘Kuthi Bari’ abandoned is an association with the place.
traveled through a beautifully laid two-
part of a government Burman Poultry
The city did not have many tall way road through green forest on both
farm firm.
buildings but it was relatively clean. The sides with undulating picturesque tea
We were almost confined in the hotel road is clogged with vehicles of all gardens that gave a serene look, a
for the few hours we had. Looking at denominations except padale beauty, with scanty population and
the busy main road just in front of the rickshaws. The Haora River is seen household, less crowded roads. The
reception of the Hotel, the Bazar, and cutting through a portion of the city. road passes like a reptile through small
shops on both sides of the dual The surroundings and city itself are green hills. Our young driver was

rotary.org July I 2023 9


expertly steering in one hand and
talking romantically with his said-to-be
beloved wife, as given excuse, had to be
reminded of existing state law but with
no avail. The language he used was
familiar to Bangla but in the Tripura
language known as ‘Kokborok’. Tripura
has a mixed population.
Bengalis in plain and Tripuri, mainly
stay in remote areas or in foothills. The
state was a princely state under
Manikya Dynasty till the British left with
the option of merging with the divided
countries. At one time the ancient
capital of the then princely state
‘Swadhin Tripura’ was at Rangamati
(Udaipur, South Tripura) by the bank of
the river Gomati.
‘Agartala had a different type of
history from the earlier times of the
epic days as it was a princely state and
related to Bangladesh. Though the East
India Company had not arrived in the
10 July I 2023
Visiting (BBMU) Bharat Bangla Maitry Udyan
princely capital of the state, they always
remained certain in capturing and
ruling. The East India Company had set
their base in Northeast India in the
Graveyards
of Bangladeshi Freedom
Fighters with various
other elements, this is not
just a park but much more
than that.
Assam province with Shillong as their
capital. As subaltern history goes that
Tripura wanted to be part of East
Pakistan but then East Pakistan
authority on 14th August 1947 did not
accept the terms of Rs. 2 crore and 17
guns salute for Maharaja. The then
state merged with India in 1949.
Maharaja is said to have been to Dhaka
(Dacca) staying for three days to get a
nod from the authority.
We reached Melaghar a small town of
the Municipal Council in Sipahijala
district, “It is a neighbor to Sonamura
and 10 km (6 miles) away from the
Bangladesh International border.
Neermahal is a famous tourist
attraction in the town, situated in the
middle of Rudra Sagar Lake”. We were
in the tourist spot of Melaghar an
important landmark for Tripura.’ Across
the lake alongside the water is a palace
known as Neermahal (Water Palace) is
situated near the northeast bank of the
lake. It was constructed by the then
Tripura King Maharaja Bir Bikram
Kishore Manikya Bahadur between
1935 and 1938 as a summer resort’ a
scenic beauty laid in white color. One
had to buy tickets to avail boats to the
palace and sail for 20 minutes, but
because of heat and perhaps age
factor, no one volunteered to take the
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journey rather opted to sit beating the
humidity pleasing with ‘fuchka,
Dab, Jhalmuri of Pran, India, and all
available street foods.

We spent some time, yet Mr. Khan

was not sure where his camp was,
however, he stayed for a short time
before he left for Kolkata in 1971.
We came back to the hotel through
the hustle and bustle of the small city
of Tripura. What was eye-catching was
a few billboards of ‘Pran India’, Crown
Cement, and Hatil furniture of
Bangladesh made.
The next morning Mr. Humayun
Kabir youngest of our travel members,
and treasurer, for the trip, informed us
about going to Belonia to visit (BBMU)
Bharat Bangla Maitry Udyan
inaugurated on 16 December 2017 by
Tripura Government under Mr. Manik
Sarker longest serving chief minister of
Tripura of Communist Party. Located
near the international border, the
Maitri Udyan is a park built at
Chottakhola as a tribute to the
Bangladeshi Freedom Fighters and
Indian soldiers, who sacrificed their
lives during the Liberation War. A war
museum, hillocks, verdant valleys,
lakes, plants, sculptures, and
(BBMU) Bharat Bangla Maitry Udyan
graveyards of Bangladeshi Freedom
Fighters with various other elements, Minister Indira Gandhi on one side and with mammoths like elephants, and
this is not just a park but much more on the other side is Bangabandhu occasional sites of Chitas (Tiger). While
than that. For us, it was a must-see Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, apart from coming back I came across Tripura
with of course Habib Khan with us. statues there are other fixtures like the University, Airport, the governor’s
tower of Bijoy 1971, a replica of Savar house, and most of the British Raj-
About 130 km from Agartala adjacent
Smriti Soudho, Gonohotta 1971 and made redbrick government buildings,
to Belonia Bulge of Bangladesh. This
Terracotta depicting the war of still telling us the tale of colonial rule
was an operational camp, one of the
Liberation. and unjust partition. Visited the only
most important ones of Mukti
Bahini who raided and fought inside One could see the border fences landmark in the city, Burman Raj Bari,
Bangladesh for nine months. between the two countries for many having life-size statues of Khudi Ram
km. I was wondering if these barbed We returned the next day via the same
It took us 3 hours to reach ‘India-
wire fences were there between hostile route, ending our 4-day visit outside
Bangladesh Friendship Park. The
Pakistan and India how would refugees the country. This was the cheapest visit
weather was in no way conducive for us
escape and Mukti Bahini operated? abroad or to a neighboring country
yet we bought tickets to enter a totally
Have we become more hostile and that we could ever have. Nothing to
empty park. On inquiry, somebody local
pauper to be caged? take away from Tripura, we should have
said that hardly any tourists come to
visit but some do that too in winter. The The scenic beauty was enchanting visited in winter with a few more days
park is a sprawling 20 hectares. The with numerous tea gardens, virgin to visit the beauty of Tripura in more
park contains life-size Statues of Prime forests filled with snakes, monkeys also scenic sights.
rotary.org July I 2023 11
 Travel

London Summer
Rtn Ann Amna Rahman

12 July I 2023 rotary.org

 Kamran is enjoying a coffee sip at the Holland & premises.
L ike most couples, my husband,
Kamran and I have a bucket list of
things we would like to experience. We
were very fortunate to be able to strike
off two of those on our list. While we
were planning our summer holiday this
July someone mentioned that Bruce
Springsteen would be performing in
Hyde Park in London. He is my
absolute favorite rockstar and Kamran
knew that! When we met in Kolkata
before we got married he had asked
me what kind of music I liked and I had
told him that my favorite singer was
Bruce Springsteen. The very first gift
Kamran gave me was the Bruce
Springsteen album “Born in the USA”.
He knew how excited I would be if we
could go and watch Bruce Springsteen
perform live. So he tried to get tickets
but discovered that they were
completely sold out. We were very
disappointed and then suddenly
rotary.org
"Summer Sun and happiness at Hyde Park, dashing Springsteen Esreet
The very first gift Kamran
gave me was the Bruce
Springsteen album “Born
in the USA”.
He knew how excited I
would be if we could go
and watch Bruce
Springsteen perform live.
Kamran’s school friend Quais Bhai
heard about this and immediately told
him that he would get us the tickets.
Once he assured us of the tickets we
immediately sat and planned our dates
and headed to London. I was
overwhelmed at the thought of seeing
Bruce Springsteen perform live and
that I would be a part of this once-in-
a-lifetime experience.
Kamran’s friend had invited twelve
concert arena."
friends to this group and we all met at
Marble Arch and walked to Hyde Park
on a bright and sunny afternoon. The
atmosphere was festive and electrify-
ing- some 65,000 fans had gathered to
watch Bruce Springsteen and the E
Street Band in Hyde Park. We watched
Bruce Springsteen's “ The Boss “ play
for three solid hours without a break,
transfixed as he sang all the favorites.
He opened with “No Retreat No Sur-
render” and just never stopped, with a
1-2-3-4 he would power into the next
song. When he played the opening
chords of “Dancing in the Dark” my
cousin and I started jumping! It’s my ab-
solute favorite song of all time. Another
unforgettable rendition was the song “
Born in the USA “. In typical Bruce style,
he threw his guitar up in the air and
into the crowd. He went into the crowd
and gave his guitar pick to a little girl
who was on her father’s shoulders.
July I 2023 13
There was also a somber thread to this
concert. He sang his new song “Last
Man Standing” dedicated to his guitar-
ist George who was a part of his first
band, “The Castiles”. When George
died, it left Bruce Springsteen as the
last living member of the band. He
spoke about how death brings a cer-
tain clarity of thought and purpose and
meaning. And how important it is to
seize the day. With Springsteen turning
74 there was a feeling that this could
be the last chance to see him in full
force. We savored every moment of
this concert. This was a dream come
true. We have been to a number of ex-
cellent concerts in the past, such as
Neil Diamond, Bryan Adams, A.R. Rah-
man, and many more, but this was a
dream come true.

The second memorable experience

was a day spent at the prestigious Hol-
land and Holland Shooting Grounds,
set in 60 acres of beautiful open coun-
tryside on the outskirts of London.
Founded in 1835, Holland & Holland is
one of the World’s Most Famous Gun-
makers. Kamran had decided to go for
clay pigeon shooting with an instructor.
We took a train ride to the grounds
and then entered the Lodge, which
was quintessentially English with a fire-
side lounge, a conservatory bar, a styl-
ish restaurant with leather chairs, and
a stunning terrace overlooking the
grounds. We were greeted with warm
hospitality and typical English banter.
Our son had arranged for the booking
and had been in touch with them. We
were a bit early, so we were offered
coffee, which was excellently brewed-
and sat outside on the terrace to ab-
sorb the glorious sunshine and ambi-
ance. In the distance, we could hear
guns being fired and the smell of gun-
shots pervaded the area. We finished
our coffee and went in to look at the
shotguns. They were exquisite. The ex-
At the Holland and Holland shooting grounds in UK.
pert in the gun shop showed us an ex- We were then invited into a beautiful
tensive range of shotguns and rifles. dining room in the Lodge, with
He told us many stories about the var- polished wooden floors, green leather
ious guns and their history and uses. sofas, thick woolen carpets, and
accented walls with
He was fascinated
paintings and
to see the pictures I
Founded in 1835, photographs of
showed him of the
hunting scenes. The
shikars that my Holland & Holland is one
menu was typical
grandfather had of the World’s Most
English cuisine made
been on. There was
even a photograph Famous Gunmakers. with seasonal
produce prepared by
of a Holland and
Michelin chef Joshua
Holland “ howdah”
Hunter. We had a salad of Cornish crab
or basket that was on the back of an
with chilled tomato consommé,
elephant. I also told him about a pair
seaweed aioli, Exmoor caviar, pickled
of bespoke Olland and Holland guns
dill, and cucumber, to start with. For
owned by my great-grandfather. Ap-
mains, I had the Pan fried fillet of
parently, they were made in pairs be-
Cornish Cod, with sides of braised
cause there would be a gun bearer
borlotti and cuttlefish ragout, romesco,
reloading the gun when the first one
and sea vegetables. Kamran had the
ran out of ammunition.
Roast Cornish rump of spring lamb

14 July I 2023 rotary.org

 12 bore Holland & Holland 'Sporting Mod-
el'Over-and-Under shotguns with 28 inch barrels
with sides of pressed cured lamb belly,
burnt aubergine purée, black olives,
and lamb sauce. It was sublime!
After this grand meal, we set off for the
actual shooting. I was delighted to
accompany them, with all the
necessary precautions in place. The
instructor had selected a Beretta
shotgun for Kamran, but Kamran told
him that it had been his dream to
shoot with a Holland and Holland gun.
He looked at him and said, “Wait,” and
returned with a brand new beautiful
Holland and Holland Royal shotgun
and told him, “ We shall not mention
this.”They say, the “Royal” model, is a
truly bespoke gun, the ultimate
expression of a shotgun, tailored to
each individual. The very hallmark of
English gun making, every “ Royal” Side
by Side is a coveted heirloom for
generations to come.
Truly, a dream come true for Kamran.
We put on ear muffs, and hats and set
off for the clay pigeon shooting where
rotary.org
Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds
Kamran got the opportunity to shoot
from various shooting stations. In all,
he shot around 100 rounds and
enjoyed this experience thoroughly.
We also heard about how the iconic
firearms brand has an impeccable
reputation and is well known from the
USA to Africa and the Indian
subcontinent.
They say, the “Royal”
model, is a truly bespoke
gun, the ultimate expres-
sion of a shotgun, tailored
to each individual.
Holland and Holland guns are made
using modern equipment but are still
finished by hand and are a reflection of
the skilled craftsmanship that goes into
these bespoke guns.
We finished the round and relaxed
with lemonade in the conservatory.
When we were all done we went to the
reception and asked for the bill to pay.
We were told that it had all been taken
care of by our son. Kamran was
surprised and asked, “ Why?”
The gentleman at the reception said, “
Sir, You have taken care of him since he
was born, he’s grown up and now he
has become a gentleman and he feels
it is his turn to take care of a few little
things that you would really enjoy. So
accept this gift with grace.” And so,
Kamran had no choice but to accept
this gift with grace.
The rest of the holiday was equally
delightful with wonderful meals with
friends and family in restaurants and
parks. And just walking in central
London, enjoying the sights and
sounds. The weather was perfect-
warm but not too hot. We look
forward to our next adventure on our
bucket list.
July I 2023 15
 Image courtesy: Rtn Shahriar Iqbal Raj
Moncho Natok- Rarang

16 July I 2023 rotary.org