Tag Archives: Dhaka

Ganges Delta – Bangladesh

Ganges Delta, Bangladesh

Ganges Delta, Bangladesh

After a meeting in Dhaka we went on a river cruise on the Meghna River. It was a far cry from the city, as we were glad to get away from the crowded streets and noise. All along the river the Bangladeshis were busy tending to their crops, fishing and transporting goods along the river. Yes, life is hard but at least the majority of Bangladeshis we met along our journey on the river appeared to be happy. These locals were hard at work hauling in their nets.

Photograph taken with Nikon D700 & 70-300mm lens at 300mm on 17th November 2009

Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban – Bangladesh

Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban, Dhaka

When I first saw this building I was surprised to be told that it was over 30 years old. It’s design gave me the impression it was a relatively new building. Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, the National Parliament of Bangladesh is  held in the Jatiyo Sangshad (National Assembly) Building of Bangladesh and is located in the capital Dhaka. It was created by architect Louis Kahn and is one of the largest legislative complexes in the world. It houses all the parliamentary activities of Bangladesh.

Construction of the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban began in 1961 by the Government of Pakistan as a permanent building for the federal legislature of both West and East Pakistan. Its construction was completed during the period of President Ziaur Rahman. However, it was the eighth (and last) session of the second parliament of Bangladesh that first used it on 15 February 1982 after its construction was completed on 28 January of the same year. The Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban has been in operation and has acted as the sole complex used as the National Assembly ever since.

Photograph taken with Nikon D700 & 24-70mm lens at 62mm on 12th November 2009

Ganges Delta – Bangladesh

Meghna River, Bangladesh

 

After interesting but frantic days in Dhaka we decided to relax and took a peaceful cruise on the Meghna and Sitalakhya Rivers rives, part of the Ganges delta. This slow and peaceful journey away from the crowd city gave us another insight to one of the most populous countries in the world. It was like being in another country, the freneticism was gone, most of the people appeared happy to see us and spent time with us and life certainly appeared more liveable.

The tourist information we received stated that it was a one-hour drive from Dhaka to Narayanganj, where we were to board a traditional wooden boat to cruise the Ganges Delta. Nevertheless, we were in Bangladesh and sometimes it takes one hour to cover three kilometres in Dhaka. Perhaps they should have stated that it was a 40-kilometre trip to Narayanganj.

Whatever, we were on our way, our driver incessantly tooting his horn at anything that moved, threading our way between buses, trishaws, tuk-tuks, trucks and cars we eventually reached the outskirts of Dhaka and managed to speed up to 50 kilometres per hour. As we hurtled down the road, believe me, 50 kilometres per hour appears the equivalent of 200 kilometres per hour on an Autobahn after driving at a speed where the pedestrians overtake the cars for a seemingly never-ending hour-long ride through the city.

Farida and I finally boarded the boat, which bore no resemblance to the photograph in their brochure. The explanation was that there were only two of us and the advertised vessel was for at least six people. We decided that we would accept their rather flimsy explanation and proceed with our journey.

It was an interesting journey, lazing on the deck, watching the goings-on and the people going about their daily chores, fishing, threshing padi, tending to their agricultural plots, doing their washing and just wandering about. The people were extremely friendly and very laid back compared the hustle and bustle of Dhaka. We stopped off at a small island where the inhabitants were busy with their padi, however they did make time for us as they took a break from their apparently tedious work.

One of our boat crew was discussing with Farida and I about his recent marriage. He was explaining why it wasn’t a marriage made in heaven and that he had been conned into this marriage. He continued his saga, explaining another reason why he was adamant that he had been conned. His sister was talking to his wife, after their marriage, and his wife told her that when she first meets her prospective groom she should not spend more than three minutes with him. The reason; the groom might find hidden flaws and faults with his new bride-to-be.

Eyasin Papon, doesn’t sound very Bangla to me, appeared out of the back of the boat and introduced himself to us. He explained that he had been busy cooking our lunch, which I took with a grain of salt, as there had been no flavours or aromas drifting from the stern of the boat.

The boat was moored on a very small island, tables, chairs and a cover erected and we were served lunch in the most unusual of places. Yes, it was an enjoyable meal, good food and great service. Then everything was packed up and we were on our way again.

Then it was a slow cruise back to Narayanganj and the tedious drive to Dhaka with a stop in the town of Sonargaon.

If you are in Dhaka I would highly recommend this cruise – it’s different and very interesting, however don’t expect 5-star cruise facilities. Actually the traditional boat makes one feel part of the surroundings rather than a tourist.

Photograph taken with Nikon D700 & 70-200mm at 75mm on 11th November 2009

Dhaka – Bangladesh

Lake Banani, Dhaka

Admittedly Bangladesh was not on the top of my visit list but I was accompanying my wife who was presenting a scientific paper at a conference there. It was certainly different to many cities that I have visited. It is extremely crowded but any new destination is a joy for me.

I had no idea what I was going to discover on my first day as I wondered out onto Kemal Ataturk Avenue towards Lake Banani in the suburb of Gulshan, the Diplomatic and supposedly the wealthiest area in Dhaka. I was surprised that the early morning traffic was only moderately heavy. After the disorganized fiasco that I had encountered the previous day on my journey from the airport it was a pleasant surprise.

Lake Banani was really a revelation. There were small wooden boats going back and forth from the small corrugated iron and wooden shacks on the far shore to the avenue, ferrying school children, adults heading further afield to their work places and salwar kameez and sari-clad women brightening up the landscape with their colourful attire.

A wooden boat pulls into the shore a few metres from the avenue and 12 people clamber to fill the boat, six on each side sitting on the gunwales as the boatman poles the boat from a raised stern, 500 metres to the other side of the lake. During busy periods there can be up to six boats going to and fro at one time. Other times people patiently wait until their boat fills before pushing off to the other side or if there are very few customers the boatman will head off with only a few passengers. The fare is only one Taka one-way, so with a full load the boatman grosses US$0.18 per trip. Certainly a hard way to make a buck.

I sat above the lakeshore and concentrated on the people and surrounds only to be disturbed by some young schoolboys who asked where I was from. I suppose to them, a foreigner that could be interested in their normal day-to-day activities was unusual. How often would a foreigner with an array of camera equipment sit and watch them with such interest for an hour or so? Their English was good and they appeared to be quite knowledgeable about my country, New Zealand, possibly because of cricket. One thing that I have discovered along my travels is that there are two things that unite the world – sport and music. Before I depart to a new country I always check what their national sports are and the current situation of those sports. It’s amazing how locals will befriend someone who knows something about the country they are visiting. So the next hour or so my photography was put on hold as I chatted to the school children whose group gradually got bigger as more inquisitive children amassed around me.

Two attractive women in bright orange saris appeared carrying huge plastic bags on their heads, warily made their way down from the road to the lakeshore. My local friends informed me that they had collected paper for recycling, however I could not ascertain whether they just sold their collections or used the paper for their own use. The bags were at least twice the size of the ladies and the way they walked in their long saris with such poise and grace amazed me.

School was out and the children who lived on the other side of the lake thronged to the shore where the ferryboats were waiting. Obviously some were eager to get home as they immediately scrambled onto the boats. Others just stood around chatting to friends. One thing that amazed me was how white the white was on their uniforms, no running water in their houses, clambering on and off boats, walking through wet mud-soaked ground to get up onto the road, yet the white was “detergent-advertisements white”. The young girls appeared more animate than the boys who were happy to just sit and wait. The girls were jesting with each other, playing tag and generally seemed very happy. Their joviality perplexed me, they lived in what appeared to be sub-standard housing, no running water or electricity and the daily grind of an uncomfortable boat ride and long walk in high temperatures to school and back yet they all appeared to be contented.

However, we from the so-called developed world complain about what these people consider trivial matters. Perhaps we all should learn from these charming people of Dhaka.

Photograph taken with Nikon D700 & 70-200mm lens at 92mm on 7th November 2009