DHAKA: When he was at university, Mokarrebur Rahman was planning to perform Hajj — a dream his friends laughed at, as he struggled to afford even one meal a day. Little did they know that the opportunity would soon come, and that he would make sure not to miss a single pilgrimage thereafter.
Rahman, who was born in Nator, about 200km north of Dhaka, in the family of a madrasa teacher, saw his father spend everything he could earn on educating his children. No one in the family thought that they could ever afford to travel to Makkah and Madinah.
But in 2004, when he was 29, the owner of a Hajj travel agency asked Rahman to find prospective pilgrims in his area. When he did, he was offered a role as their guide.
“The owner of the agency, Marvelous Air Travels, Saleh Akbar, told me to prepare for the Hajj journey ... Recalling those days still brings tears to my eyes,” Rahman told Arab News.
“My parents constantly prayed for me. They wept in prayer, asking Allah to grant me the opportunity to fulfill my dream of performing Hajj. As the eldest of six siblings, my journey was a moment of joy and pride for my younger brothers and sisters.”
