Nolok grabs int'l limelight

The Statesman in a news item headlined 'Bangla's American Idol' called the achievement a 'U-turn' after he was announced "Closeup-1 Tomakei Khujchhe Bangladesh".

The Hindustan Times wrote: In a classic rags to riches story, a Bangladeshi street singer has won the country's first talent hunt TV show winning one million taka, the hearts of thousands of viewers who voted for him -- and a whole new life.

The Daily News & Analysis, a joint venture of the Dainik Bhaskar Group and Zee TV, carried the news item on the feat of the 19-year-old boy with the headline: A 'train singer' is Bangladesh Idol.

"Tears rolled down his cheek when Nolok was announced champion of the first ever Bangla song competition," wrote the Webindia123.com detailing the award distribution ceremony telecast live by NTV and watched by millions of viewers.

Grown up in a poor family in northern Jamalpur district and deserted by his father at the age of nine, the boy used to sing songs on the trains and buses to collect money for treatment of his ailing mother, wrote the New Kerala.Com.

"When I left home touching her legs, I had the target to return to her wining the Closeup-1 award. Now I will visit the country along with my mother by the car they awarded me," Nolok told the BDNEWS.

He remembered the day when he first appeared before audience at a Baishakhi fair in Jamalpur seven to eight years ago. "Usually people don't give money in such programmes, but on that day many people made contributions for me," he recalled.

International wire services like AP, AFP and Reuters and newspapers in the UK, the USA and Middle East countries also carried special features on the talent, who shot to fame with his performance in the Closeup-1 contest.