A little bit of Bangladesh

Posted on by Valneufeld

Always on the go… people and rickshaws and buses and … a steady stream of movement of people and supplies. Bangladesh is the 8th most populous country in the world with a population exceeding 165 million people and with a land area of only 148,460 square kilometres it is one of the worlds most densely populated.

I could actually post endless traffic pictures as I find it quite remarkable – but i will restrain myself. The side of the buses reflect quite a bit- bashed and banged from rubbing against vehicles and walls
While waiting for our paperwork we had the chance to explore a bit of the country. Here is one of the many chimneys which are found all throughout Bangladesh which burn bricks. There is a high demand of building materials – and bricks are an easy thing to make using this 150 year old technology. Soil is mixed with water and formed into bricks with wooden forms and dried and burned in traditional kilns. Despite the need for bricks – it is a problem for the country in the pollution that is created from the burning.
We took a boat ride on the Meghna River to an island. The Meghna is one of the major rivers in Bangladesh and one of the three that form the Ganges Delta – the largest Delta on earth. A picture of our very helpful guide Hanif – who we met through iDE
Our boat driver
One of the many other boats on the water
We went to a community on an island on the river
Boys fishing for small fish
Their catch
A school on the island – we interrupted their math class for a moment
It actually felt so quiet here
Boats carrying and depositing sand down the river. The low boat on the far side is full of sand and the one closer is empty. Sand is a valuable resource and is big business in Bangladesh
Refuelling with propane
In Old Dhaka – Shankhari Bazar – a well known colourful Hindi market and the oldest area in Dhaka. Bangladesh is primarily a Muslim country (89%, with a 10% Hindu and a 1% other religions such as Christianity and other )
We were also able to visit the city and surrounding area of Sylhet. Sylhet is best known for its tea and its 130 tea estates that are in the surrounding area
A tea garden
One of the many fields we passed. Over 50% of the population here are farmers – and has a variety of agricultural products. As I was reading about this country I learned about the rich fertile land from the silt deposits as every year the rivers overflow their banks and inundate the countryside – replenishing the land – as well – as floods do – cause damage and take a toll
We drove to the town of Jaflong – famous for its stone collection. We saw many gravel quarries along the road
And finally a stop at Lakahal – known for its beautiful water colour and a source of sand in Sylhet. Interesting – as I think now – our guide told me two words in Bengali – one for rock and one for sand – two incredibly important resources in this country
A boat being filled with sand from the river
While visiting Lakahal Dylan got a call from MAF saying that the inspector has come to see the aircraft and this will set in motion all the government hands that need to pass the necessary paperwork – and- just maybe our flight will indeed happen on the 11th – so we quickly made our way back to Dhaka to prepare for the flight

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