Rural Bangladesh

Busy times in Dhaka, on my way out on another field trip. I dont have internet access where I stay until the end of June when I will move to another apartment, thus I am not that frequent in sending e-mails and updating my blog. Above are a few pics from the more rural setting of Bangladesh. Take care!

Noboborsher Shuveccha! (Happy New Bengali Year!)

Today the new year celebrations took place here in Bangladesh. The Bengali New Year celebrations starts in early morning when people gather on the streets to cheer the new year. Together with my collegue Linda we went downtown to the Dhaka University area, where we walked around together with the enormous crowds of people in happy new years spirit. We had the great honour to be interviewed on national televison about our "feelings about celebrating the Bengali New Year in Bangladesh". Not an easy question. I used my best hindi-English and said something about our great feeling of happiness to be part of this extraordinary event. Linda impressed with her banglaspeaking abilities. We managed to wish the people and the nation of Bangladesh a Gott Nytt Ar (Happy New Year). Already a Bangla TV celebrity then, not bad after only two weeks...

This week I went on my first fieldtrip and tomorrow it is off again. Both visits to the North of the country. Pictures and updates from rural Bangladesh will follow in the end of next week.

Cricket victory

Bangladesh yesterday managed to beat South Africa in the ongoing cricket tournament, causing celebrations on the streets yesterday evening.

Less optimistic news the last couple of days regarding the outlook for elections to take place in the near future. The Election Commission has suggested that the preparation of new voter lists will take about 18 months to finish. Also elections for all local government are postponed.

Will go on my first fieldtrip from Monday until Wednesday.

Below are some pictures from the weekend tour of one of Dhakas rivers.

River life

A few pictures from my neighborhood here in Dhaka. The apartment where I live is situated in an affluent part of the city (similar to Vasant Vihar in Delhi) with nice apartment buildings and an abundance of large cars and jeeps. But this being one of the worlds poorest countries, entire families are living in between the houses on the pavements also in this area. I have still not been around Dhaka much and just have a few pictures from around the neighborhood. Our really nice office is located downtown, the only problem here being frequent power cuts. Next week I will go on my first field trip, really looking forward to get to see both projects and the countryside.

Arrival

Thursday morning 6.15 am the BA 145 flight from London landed at Zia Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Tired after a bumpy flight (which really made me remember exactly why I hate flying) I stumbled out onto Bangladeshi soil. Immigration went smoothly and my luggage arrived as well. I was picked up by my colleague Anna in a green Mitsubishi jeep that I soon will have to learn how to maneuver on the crazy streets of Dhaka. Please keep your fingers crossed both for me and the rest of the population of Dhaka when I start driving…Thursday was dominated by sleeping. Fridays and Saturdays are the weekend here and I have spent the last couple of days just relaxing and starting to find my way around the neighborhood locating food markets and places to buy daily necessities.

Bangladesh is currently ruled by an interim government who took power after elections failed to take place as scheduled in January. The country is still under emergency rules. This is noticeable in particular by the police and military presence on the streets. Cars and people are regularly being stopped and checked by the RAB (Rapid Action Battalion), men and women all dressed in black who looks like some sort of Ninja force. But the political situation otherwise seems to be calm and it is easy to move around in the area where I live.

Today (Sunday) is Eid, a Muslim holiday, and we have the day off. Will start working on Monday, really looking forward to that. Hope to update this blog with some pictures the upcoming week.

Take care!

Last days in Sweden

Where most summers have been spent

Vaxsjön Sunday evening

Favourite running trek

Tuesday lunch in front of the university

My flight leaves tomorrow morning at 10.55 am. This time it has been very hard to say goodbye to friends and family. Hope to hear from you all soon. Come visit any time!

Independence Day

Independence day is celebrated today in Bangladesh. After Indian independence from British colonial rule the Indian subcontinent was split into two nations. During partition of India 1947 into East and West Pakistan millions of Hindus and Muslims fled across the borders, resulting in violent and bloody clashes between the two groups. Until 1971 Bangladesh, then East Pakistan, was under Pakistani rule with the government and main institutions placed in West Pakistan. When the West Pakistani government proclaimed that the national language would be Urdu, a language hardly spoken in East Bangladesh, riots and struggle between students and the Pakistani army took place on the streets of Dhaka. After a cyclone killed about 500.000 people in 1970, resistance towards the distant government grew stronger. In the beginning of March 1971 at a rally in Dhaka a political leader talked about Bangladesh as an independent state. Soon thereafter the Mukti Bahini, Bangladesh Freedom Fighters, took charge of a radio station in the Chittagong region. Troops were sent from West Pakistan and a slaughter of supporters of the freedom movement followed. In June, the freedom fight had turned into a full scale guerilla war. Many civilians joined the violent fighting. Napalm was used by the Pakistani government against villages and systematic rape was widespread. During the fighting, in Bangladesh called "the Liberation War", about 10 million fled to across the border to India. In the beginning of December, India had had enough of refugees and fighting around its borders and decided to put an end to the turmoil. The Indian army stepped in and shortly thereafter West Pakistan surrendered. Bangladesh soon thereafter was declared an independent state.

Map of Bangladesh

Ten days left before leaving for Bangladesh. Just recently I (again) was asked if Bangladesh really is not an African country..

View of Nanda Devi Range in Himalaya, Garwhal District in Northern India (Oct. 2006)

This blog is an attempt to keep friends, family and people with a general interest in Northern South Asia updated on developments in the region. I look forward to your comments and suggestions for links and information to be added to the blog.