For Bangladeshis, migration is nothing new. About 8.5 million Bangladesh nationals have migrated to various countries in search of greener pastures.
However, several hundreds of them harbour different dreams while migrating. As many as 753 Bangladesh nationals, some of them women, want to settle in Mars, which is millions of miles away from the earth. These people have registered with Mars One, a not-for-profit foundation that intends to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars in 2023, expressing their desire to undertake a one-way journey to Mars, also called the Red Planet.
Led by Dutch engineer Bas Lansdorp, the project started in 2011 with a goal to take along a rover and a team of engineering and medical professionals to set up a permanent colony. The settlement in Mars will start with four people and expand by four more every two years.
The first departure for the Red Planet is scheduled for 2022, landing seven months later in 2023. “We have welcomed 753 applicants from Bangladesh on our website since we launched it in April,” Aashima Dogra, editorial manager of Mars One, told The Independent in an e-mail communication.
Applications for the first round of the Mars One Astronaut Selection Programme ended on August 31, the organisation’s website stated, adding: “Human settlement on Mars is possible today with existing technologies. Mars One mission plan integrates components that are well tested and readily available from industry leaders worldwide.”
During the five-month application period, Mars One received applications from 202,586 people from around the world who want to be the first human settlers on Mars. People from 140 countries expressed their interest to make a one-way trip to Mars. The maximum number of applicants came from the United States (47,654) followed by India (20,747) and China (13,176).
Anyone above 18 and mentally stable are eligible to apply online. Application fees range between USD 5 and USD 75 depending on the applicant’s geographical location. For Bangladeshis, the application fee is USD 7.
The Mars One Selection Committee will select prospective Martian settlers in three additional rounds spread over two years. By 2015, six to 10 teams of four individuals will be selected for seven years of full-time training. In 2023, one of these teams will become the first humans ever to land on Mars and live there for the rest of their lives. Each Round 1 applicant is now being screened by the Selection Committee, which is expected to take several months.
Candidates who will be selected for the next round will be notified by the end of 2013. The selection’s second round will start in early 2014, when the candidates will be interviewed by the Mars One Selection Committee.
Among the Bangladeshi applicants, there are different age groups and professionals. Many of the applicants are expatriates living in different countries across the world.
Habib Dulal, Mehedy Mizan, Labonya, Mohammed Rashedun Nabi Harun, Mahmud-AL-Noor Nirzhor, Sharmin, Salma Meher Aieshee and Anayet Hossain are among those who have applied to undertake the journey to Mars.
“I have an ambition to make Mars livable,” 35-year old Habib Dulal said in his profile available on the Mars One website. “I have a passion for space and final frontier. I am a big fan of Star Trek. I would love to stay on Mars,” said 30-year-old Mehedy Mizan.
“It’s time to go beyond the earth’s boundaries. It would be my ultimate achievement to go through all the space trainings and experiences which I have only read in books. Looking forward to it,” said 29-year-old ‘adventure-loving’ Labonya.
Mohammed Rashedun Nabi Harun, a 47-year-old male, made his feelings known just in one sentence – “I love adventure!”
Mahmud-AL-Noor Nirzhor, 23, said: “I’m so much curious about astronomy. I eagerly want to be part of this history at any cost. Nothing is impossible for a willing mind.”
Salma Meher Aieshee, who has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Electronic Engineering degree and works at mobile operator Banglalink, said: “I have faced a lot of challenges in life and now it is my hobby to accept challenges and face something new and difficult.” “Mars One is the mission which can fulfil my desire. Nothing is impossible,” said 25-year-old Anayet Hossain, who lives in Cyprus.
-With The Independent input
