Mustafizur Rahman is Another Successful Pathao Rider

Happiness is like a rainbow. It has a lot of colours. Sometimes one colour works harmoniously with another, and sometimes it can have destructive effects too. Such is the case with some societal constructs.

*Name: Mostafizur Rahman
*Hometown: Dhaka

Tell something about yourself:

I wasn’t very interested in school during my childhood. I studied as far as I had to. I never need to worry about my livelihood, so I did not put much thought into building a career. However, I’m recognized among my friends as a lover of art and as someone who values talent.

What is your objective behind ride sharing in Pathao?

I never had any major, pre-planned motive for doing this. However, through ride sharing with Pathao, I have tried to bring a little improvement in the lives of some people. Some passengers ask me why I ride with Pathao even though I have such a great car. I answer simply. I tell them that I don’t have any worries regarding my income, but I love driving and serving people at the same time. You can’t provide a ride sharing service to people if you have a lot of money, cars or houses – this is an old misconception in our society. I’m fortunate that all my need are met. I own a house and a car. The wealth I have is thankfully enough to feed even my grandchildren. Yet, I serve people using my car using Pathao. Why? It makes me happy, as simple as that. However I have tried to be a bit different as a Captain. I keep few educational books in my car. When families bring their children along, I hand them these children’s books, and tell them politely that they can read. Some read, while some of them flip through the pages and give them back. The children usually love thumbing through the pages. I don’t have any particular agenda with this, but I like encouraging people to cherish reading.

Tell us about a ride sharing experience that you will always remember-

I wasn’t getting any ride requests that day. Parking my car in a safe place, I started reading. I also checked the app for requests every now and then. After waiting for almost an hour, I finally received one. Putting the book aside, I called the user via the app. The man on the other end was gasping for air as he asked me if I was nearby. After finishing the conversation with him, I went in front of the main gate of a hospital. The man recognized me immediately and told me to wait a bit. After a while, he brought out his mother from inside. Her condition seemed critical. Since it was not possible to treat her in this hospital, they had to move to another hospital right ahead, immediately. I assisted him in carefully helping her get into the car. The man’s face was twisted in fear the entire time. I began to recite supplications in my head. After arriving at the hospital, I got out of car and helped him take his mother to her hospital bed. Amidst all the rush and running around, the man completely forgot about me. I stood next to his mother and made sure she was alright. I don’t differentiate between strangers or relatives when I see someone in pain. I consider it my duty to extend a helping hand. The man noticed me after some time had passed. He hugged me at once, and thanked me for helping him. At that instant, I realized that there can be no other good deed or act better than helping another person out.

Do you have anything special to say?

Happiness is like a rainbow. It has a lot of colours. Sometimes one colour works harmoniously with another, and sometimes it can have destructive effects too. Such is the case with some societal constructs. It’s expected that lavishly dressed people will ride cars, while people with worn-out clothes will drive them. Even an educated man once asked me in surprise why I was driving. I always have the answer ready.