The photograph of a seemingly happy Wazed family, taken in a golf club in Virginia, United States, is genuine, though doubts still persist when it was actually taken.
When Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy posted the photo on his Facebook page on September 28, as a mark of his mother’s presence alongside him on her birthday that very day, he wasn’t fibbing. He did score a birdie.
The golf club exists. And its name is River Bend Club “nestled in the rolling countryside of Great Falls, Virginia”. It is “one of the premier private membership clubs in the Washington, D.C. area. Founded in 1961, River Bend is known for its challenging, beautifully maintained golf course and impeccable facilities. River Bend is a home away from home for everyone in the family,” the club’s website says.
Interestingly, the club was founded by “several like-minded members, a large contingent of which worked down the road at the CIA in Langley Virginia, who grouped to acquire the Forest Lakes Country Club at 375 Walker Road”.
It certainly was for Sheikh Hasina who was united with her son when she was in Washington, D.C, following her sojourn in New York where she attended the United Nations Generally Assembly’s 78th session.
Let us now know a little more about the club. According to the website, “River Bend offers a full range of recreational and social amenities including golf, tennis, swimming, fitness & wellness, dining, catering, and event planning. Junior programs abound with golf and tennis clinics and lessons, kids’ fitness programs, a competitive swim team and summer camps. Everyone in the family is involved, with a full special event and social calendar.
“River Bend has a distinctive character, combining excellent facilities and attentive service with a family-friendly and comfortable atmosphere. That atmosphere is a direct result of the fundamental policy at River Bend since its founding in 1961, that the Club exists for the use and enjoyment of its members. This policy is also reflected in the limits on the total number of memberships and on the number of memberships with full golf privileges, both of which are maintained at levels far below those of most other golf and country clubs. Because of the small size of its membership, River Bend’s facilities and recreational programs are easily accessible to the members”.
The verdant, undulating landscape “features a championship eighteen-hole golf course and state-of-the-art golf practice facility. In 2011, the course was redesigned and renovated by renowned architect Keith Foster”.
The club has 635 active members – presumably Sajeeb Wazed Joy is one of the privileged ones – and in all likelihood he has a Regular Full membership with “access to golf tennis, fitness, pool, and dining facilities”. The Limited Social membership provides members with “all facilities except golf”. And yes, “River Bend membership is extended by invitation, with current Members sponsoring new candidates every step of the way – from nomination to confirmation”.
One can be part of the elegant environs of the club by being part of “private celebrations”. So, “whether you’re planning a golf tournament, wedding, corporate event, a special celebration, or a charity fundraiser, we pride ourselves on delivering you and your guests an experience that exceeds expectations at every turn,” River Bend claims.
Now, as the ruling Awami League government prepares the electoral pitch in Bangladesh – which could turn into a pitched battle, some political analysts back home fear – Sajeeb Wazed Joy remains ensconced in his Virginia home, probably ruing the electoral outcome for the party – an ace or a duff?
