Young astronomy enthusiast and inventor Shafayat Azad has been making telescopes in self-funding for many years.
Dhaka Tribune has talked to him over phone and explored his journey so far.
Why have you decided to make telescopes?
Shafayat: “Since my childhood, I have always been fascinated with the sky. Hence, I was always looking for books written on this topic and trying to find a way to read them.”
“I always wanted to know each and every object in the sky so that whenever anyone asked me about any of it I was able to answer them correctly.”
Are your telescopes cheaper than the telescopes available in the market?
Shafayat: “The telescopes available in the market cost 24,000tk. And the telescope I make cost only 7,000tk. So far, I have sold 300 telescopes and I have gotten dozens of orders, but I simply can't continue without funding.”
What kind of challenges have you faced in realising your dream?
Shafayat: “The lenses needed to make a telescope are very expensive and honestly I couldn't afford those. A brother of mine brought some lenses from Dubai and then I started working with them.”
“Also when you try to do something like this, people discourage you a lot at the beginning. For instance, my mother has always told me to avoid pursuing such a career and that no good was to come out of it.”
When did it all start?
Shafayat: “I seriously started researching the topic in 2005, but I had been working on my first telescope before that. In 2007, I made my first telescope. It took me four years to complete it.”
Whose books have you read on astronomy?
Shafayat: “I read a few books. Among them, I'd specially mention the title 'Bohumatrik Jotirmoy' by late Professor Humayun Azad.”
Did you have a technical background?
Shafayat: “Yes, I did my honours in Computer Science. And since my father was a mechanical engineer I had the privilege to have a scientific environment.”
Have you gotten enough assistance and funds from any organisations?
Shafayat: “No, I have not. In fact, I am still not getting support from anyone.”
What kind of assistance are you looking for?
Shafayat: “I'm looking for assistance from big organisations such as Microsoft. For example, a competition like math olympiad gets funds every year. I need something similar to that but I am not even saying I need funds every year. If they can provide me with a handsome amount of money in one go, that will help me a lot.”
Do you only make telescopes?
Shafayat: “Originally, I had been making telescopes. But soon I figured I could make miscropes and binoculars too.”
“Thereafter, I started making microscopes and binoculars along with telescopes.”