Somehow, I have come to believe over the years that the concept of national pride in Bangladesh is extremely skewed. Its a case of Woo Suk Hwang being proud of fabricating his stem cell research case and saying that at-least he had the idea to fabricate it! You see, I have an idea that pride should always be about something that you have worked towards, and helped achieve. When America went to the moon, Russia was not proud – at best, they were happy. But wait, that’s a skewed example. What do you think the Canadians felt about the American achievement?

Proud?

Probably not.

What the Canadians probably felt was a feeling of joy, or ecstasy, or even a little bit of surprise and wonder! But no, proud would be a wrong word in that scenario.

Now let’s think of a Bangladeshi perspective. We somehow are proud of everything out there. A Bangladeshi got a patent on gene-therapy? Let’s all be proud. A Bangladeshi works in Nuclear Research? Let’s all be proud. A half-bangladeshi won a gymnastic competition? Holy shit we must atleast be half proud! A Bangladeshi boy won a recitation competition in Dubai? Damn, the whole generation has to be proud!

Here is why I find this wrong.

When a country collectively works towards these success-es, there would be reason to be proud. When Russia produces one Chess Grand Master every other month, they can be proud because their education system was designed to produce these geniuses. When Korea produces one OLED technology every other year, they can be proud because of the Industries that their country has directly assisted in setting up.

But why would we be proud in case of random incidents that we as a country had no part in?

That gene researcher? Our education system is actually so bad that he had to go out of the country to continue his education. Praccher Oxford failed him. The Bangladeshi who works in Nuclear Research? He works there instead of here because our Nuclear Capacity has been stuck at the same level since 1972. The half-bangladeshi person achieving great things abroad? No man, her mother should be proud of her – not us! That amazing recitation of the Quraan? That guy was self-taught in a country where having a beard is considered a crime and calls for a full-body search!

It’s simple – we should only be proud of something that we have been a part of. When Shakib wins something – it is his pride alone in a country full of pessimists who would spend half their time judging his wife and the other half judging his off-field behavior!

Pride is not a subjective matter. Being proud is a logical expression of happiness when an effort pays out.

But being proud of someone else’s achievement? That’s just cheap.