IPDC ‘Ogroj’: Roquibul Hassan reflects on career, war experience

IPDC's "Ogroj," in its latest edition, features former cricketer Roquibul Hassan who also took up arms during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

"Ogroj," a digital webinar series by IPDC Finance, sheds light on protagonists from post-independent Bangladesh who have made a significant contribution to building the nation, said a media statement issued on Monday.

Hosted by Anis A Khan, the show is now on its thirteenth episode. In this episode, legendary cricketer Roquibul Hassan talks about the turbulent time and describes the story of the turning point in the development of cricket culture in the country.

He thrilled spectators during the political turmoil in an unofficial Test match between Pakistan XI and International XI. He started his innings using a bat with a "Joy Bangla" sticker in February 1971, and the only slogan chanted throughout the stadium was "Joy Bangla."

Later, he joined the Liberation War when Bangabandhu's call for independence came in March.

During that time, he took initiative to form an independent Bangladeshi cricket team. In the post-war period, the legend returned to cricket. 

Born on 1 January, 1953, he started playing cricket as an opener while studying in class eight at St Gregory's School. He then started his journey in the Azad Boys team in first division cricket.

Roquibul Hassan is the first person to lead Bangladesh against an international side. He participated in three ICC Trophy tournaments held in 1989, 1982 and 1986.

Cricket legend Raquibul Hassan has played various roles, including: match referee, commentator, manager, selector, and cricket analyst.

Speaking about the show, Mominul Islam, managing director and CEO of IPDC Finance Limited, said, "Roquibul Hassan is one of those cricketers who have etched their names in the chronicles of Bangladesh cricket forever. The remarkable history of him playing with the bat with the 'Joy Bangla' sticker is still an inspiration for patriotism."

"Through 'Ogroj,' IPDC intends to initiate a digital memoir on such narratives and looks forward to creating dialogue about their accounts as well as inspiring audiences," he added.