BONDHU GARAGE'S BONDHUS SAIL THE SKIES

Photo: Khalidul Kabir Nayan

The 10th event organised by Grameenphone's Bondhu Garage for the “Bondhus” on December  5 was nothing short of extraordinary. Not only were the participants sent flying, but they were on an inflatable boat while doing so. As the events are getting bigger and better, it stands to show that the perks of having a Bondhu Garage package are ever increasing. The range of benefits start from promotional discounts at various lifestyle outlets and eateries but it doesn't stop there. Bondhu Garage lives up to its name as it acts to bring together package holders in stimulating and exciting environments.

To determine who were the most deserving of such an adventure, there was an online competition exposed only to the Bondhu Garage community members. Of the 15,000 (approximate) Facebook members, only 20 were selected to join the event. The entries had been verified to see whether the applicants had the mobile package, if they fell inside the target age group of 18-26, and also their ability to creatively answer fun questions such as what the Bangla name of a flying boat would be.

This event took place in Meghna Village Resort 30 kilometers from Dhaka. All the participants were picked up from a point in Banani at 8 AM. Everyone was speculating what a flying boat would be like. Some even imagined the boat to be attached to hundreds of helium balloons like in Up. Upon reaching the destination, the participants were surprised to see a small rubber dinghy attached to wings like those used in hang gliding. Even though initially it was received with a little scepticism and fear, the participants were still amazed when they took turns to get onto this strange vehicle as it reached speeds of up to 80 km/h and a maximum altitude of 7000 feet above sea level.

The whole event was designed for the participants to enjoy themselves to the fullest. Other than the main attraction, there were fun activities such as football and other games. The friendly ambiance brought everyone together to chat and live it up. Fahad, a student of IUB, said, “This is the first time I came to a Bondhu Garage event and I intend to try to go to all the others coming up soon. A friend of mine had told me about this event and asked me to tag along. I'm glad I came, because it's an incredible experience and I got to meet a lot of interesting new people. There used to be a lot of open fields to play in and make new friends back in the day but the scope for that is limited now. Bondhu Garage's initiative is very appreciable.”

To be a part of the Bondhu Garage experience, you need to have a Grameenphone SIM card and then convert to their package. Further details can be found on their own website and Facebook group.