Dhaka: Traffic and Lifestyle

Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, the National Parliament House. According to Wikipedia, it's one of the biggest legislative buildings in the world, and there's a very nice, but fenced and safely guarded park around it.
My Bangladeshi friends tell me the park used to be open for visitors, back in the days, before the political situation got so tense.
Since 2014, Awami League has passed some highly contentious decisions here, in absence of the boycotting opposition. It's both frightening and interesting to get to know more about the deadlocked political situation that led to bloody clashes in the beginning of 2015.

Motijheel at the city centre at a very quiet Saturday morning: Rickshaws, busses, cars and CNGs (the little green vehicles on the right side in the back) are actually able to move on the streets.

Going by rickshaw is slow, but can be quite fun. Mizan, Tasfi and I have to squeeze a bit here, but even four people are officially allowed on a rickshaw. And inofficially, everything is allowed in Dhaka traffic.

 One ride costs about 30 to 40 takka for locals, and usually not more than 70 for foreigners: less than 1 Euro! The Rickshaw pullers are considered the poorest of the working class. Most of them do not own their vehicle, but have to pay a rent for using it - which might take up most of their daily earnings. They also have restrictions about the area and distance they can take you.
Usually, you can also walk these distances, and might be faster. I attract a lot of disapproving looks for doing so, though: The two groups of people who are not expected to walk at all are women and foreigners.

CNGs are considered the most comfortable way of travelling further distances. They are small enough to squeeze in between cars and busses - and do so very hazardously; but that's the only way to make your way through the traffic. A ride costs about 250 to 300 takka, which is expensive for Bangladesh.
It's also smoggy and hot inside. And with the cross-barred windows (for my own protection, I was told), I always feel like a prisoner.

I was told to never ever go by local bus - which I disregarded, of cause. Talking about climate change all day, shouldn't you at least use public transportation?
I was accompanied by a (male) ICCCAD colleague, though. It's considered not really appropriate for women to go on their own. Besides the staring looks of local guys, the bus ride was not that bad. Just a bit shaky, as you can guess from the picture. 

Fresh Naan is prepared on the street. Bangladeshis like to deep-fry their pastries, and add a lot of sugar, but for the bread, you go with the basics: Naan is simply some pizza-style dough, baked in a stone oven - it's my favourite! For Roti, the bread is fried in a pan, and for Paratha, you add oil to that. Served with scrambled eggs, vegetables and/or lentils, this is a typical Bengali breakfast.

Bengali deserts, or: What you get when invited to visit one of Mizans friends and her family, and have asked them, please, not to prepare any dinner.
Mangos and lychees are in season now, and these delicious small bananas are sold everywhere and all the time here.
Traditional Bengali sweets mainly consist of fat milk and sugar, either turned into pastries, pudding (which tastes very light and fresh, for some reason), or pancakes (filled with a sweet cream). Those rund samosa-style delicacies in the middle are not sweet, but deep-fried.

Rose Garden, a former colonial building in the centre of Dhaka that was turned into a heritage site. Apparently, a lot of Bangladeshi films are shot here, and those who can affort it rent the place for weddings and partys.

Cursorily enough, no one bothered to renovate the back side of the house.
For pictures and films, superficial beauty suffices, I guess.

Learn and note: Bengali relates to the culture and laguage, including e.g. people living in Kolkata. Bangladeshi specifically refers to the nationality of Bangladesh.

Off to the Countryside

For the dramatic effect of this story, it's important to mention it started at in this limbo of capitalism: Bashundara City, a giant shopping mall in Dhaka. This is where I realised: I really have to get out of here, to see more of this country than its AC controlled tourist destinations.

Two hours and two as-fast-as-you-can-go CNG rides through rush hour traffick later, I'm at the train station with my friend Mizan and his wife Tasfi. I got to know them in Bochum, and they now came to Dhaka to celebrate their wedding. When we met in that shopping mall, they invited me to spontaneously join their family visit in Joyourhat and Nawabganj, in the north-west of Bangladesh.

After four hours wating for the train to leave, and eight hours actually moving up north, my first day on the countryside begins.

By car, we travel from Joypurhat to Nawabganj.
Busses are on strike, because the opposition party BNP is protesting against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami Leage: They are clinging to power without democratic authorisation, since almost all oposition parties boycotted the 2014 elections.

Rice, the main staple crop of the country, is dried in the sun before being brought to the mill.

Arrival at Mizan's fathers house. Keeping cows and growing vegetables, the families living here can provide for most of their basic needs. They have running water, electricity, and even a TV.

Mizan has nine older sisters and brothers, who all have children. Some families are living here, others come over to visit. This means: You need a lot of rice. The storage basket is bigger than the cook. 

Because there are so many people gathering for this family event, we eat in shifts: The little ones are first, women last. They prepared delicious vegetarian food for me: rice, lots of vegetables, lentil soup, and lots of sweets. Mango and tamarind paste at the side. Sitting on the floor was no problem - but I still have to get used to Bengali table manners: You eat with your hands, and chew quite loudely.

A walk through the family's mango plantation, of which Mizan's friend Marfy took some pictures - thanks and copyright to him!

I know, this doesn't look like I came here to work...
I really needed some time off, and this country trip came just in time.

The traditional Bengali dress for women is called Saree. We girls are wearing light pants, called salwar, and kameez: a long, colorful shirt, which you combine with a scarf (urna). Very comfy!
Headscarfs are rather scarce for a Muslim country, but I also saw some women in burkas.

Nawabganj is also known as Mango Heaven. High season is in June - but green mango with salt is also higly recommendable!

This area is very lucky to be not much affected by climate change. People live a simple life, and especially women are busy all day with housework and field work, plus taking care of the children. I get the impression, though, that people are much happier here than many in Dhaka.

Bikes are the main vehicle of transportation. Roads do not provide for pedestrians. Boys usually have bikes way too big for them, which they use quite artistically, like this guy at his schoolyard. Social norms prohibit girls to bike, especially in rural areas. 

Despite Cricket being the "national" game (hello again, post-colonial influence), soccer is getting increasingly popular in Bangladesh. For some reason, I learned, Bangladeshis either support Brasil or Argentina for World Cups - and apparently do so quite passionately.
This is a leftover from last year.

Bystander effect

In his speech at the official ICCCAD dinner, vice-chancelor of the Independent University of Bangladesh compared the impacts of climate change to a robber (the agressive kind of guy, the one with a knife) attacking a person, let's say a helpless pretty woman (to encapture the notion of innocence, which is important in this regard) on the street: 

When she screams loud enough, all lights will turn on, people will open their windows and see what's happening - but no one will go down to help her, and no one will call the police.

Why? Well, people think 

a) "I cannot face this lunatic alone, I will not be able to help the girl on my own" 

b) "So many others are watching, somebody will surely do something, so I can go back to bed"

So the lights turn off, the woman is left alone.
For the murder, only the guy with the knife will be found guilty in front of a court - but everyone who heard her scream, and didn't act, has a moral liability for her death.

So, of cause: Every time a board a plane (to fly to Bangladesh, for example), every time I eat some cheese, or buy one another technical devise, I deliberately stab a knife into the back of the Bengali farmers, who cannot grow their crops any more due to lack of rain and salinity of the soil, the families getting hit by cyclones at the coastal belt, and those who drown in their flooded informal settlements in Dhaka.

... but I start wondering whether being an all-green-lifestyle, vegan and low-carbon bystander really makes things better - or just makes me feel better about not actually doing anything.

Background of these thoughts: My research centre hosted an official dinner for alumni of the short course (everyone at this table, except for me), and friends and guest.

This is Dr. Saleemul Huq, director of ICCCAD. One of the best story-tellers, and people, I've ever met. I highly recommend you to read some of his articles.

Old Town: The Heart of Dhaka

Walking tour through Old Town on Saturday (which is the second day of the weekend here, like in many muslim countries)

A Shiite mosque in Old Town (filled with us tourists from the climate change adaptation communitiy)

Selfie with some of the participants of the short course on urban adaptation (the city tour was part of that course, and I was part of the international gang for some days)

View from a roof terrace down to the streets of Old Town, where people are carrying huge lunch platters on their heads.

Yes, they can carry a lot! This is the local market next to the river. Goods are being delivered by boat.

And this is our group taking a boat trip along the (unfortunately quite dirty) river.

Ironically, the only nice old buildings in Old Town are the inheritance of French and British colonisers. A movement now formed among citizens of Old Town to preserve this heritage, renovate it and potentially attract tourists with it.

Jackfruit: the national fruit. According to my colleague at ICCCAD, who shares my passion for fruits and vegetables, they're supposed to be really yummy in June only.

Baridhara and Gulshan: My neighbourhood

The main street outside Baridhara. I don't think I could drive a car here, or ride my bike: It's not just busy and chaotic, but also on the wrong side of the road (thanks to Great good old colonial power Britain).

Inside Baridhara: A special park next to a (not even that dirty) lake, especially designed for walking. Signs encourange women (only!) to walk "at least 3 hours a week" to reduce their risk of heart attacks. For running, its really nearly too hot - but I try, you know me.

The view from our roof terrance (yes, we've got one, very nice for evening yoga). And yes, the house on left does have its own swimming pool.

In Gulshan, further down the lake, poverty and "development" live right next door. Image living through a flood in these shacks!

The Gulshan Hospital, on the other hand, looks very nice: No need to worry about getting sick here - if you can affort it!

For about 60 cents (55 Taka), you can buy half a kilo of vegetables on the local market. Some look really strange, like the mini-cucumbers. The problem of cooking is just that it's too hot for it - especially on a gas stove!

In the evenings, young people gather around the lake, some play music, some just read a book.
Bar and café culture does not really exist among the local "normal" (i.e. not incredibly rich) people, so many come and hang out here.

Dhaka, Bangladesh: What and why

What I do:
- research for my master thesis on Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) in Bangladesh
- staying as visiting researcher at the Centre of Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) for five weeks
- conducting interviews with different stakeholders of CBA
- participating in ICCCAD activities and events
A full description of my research can be found on the Gobeshona Website.

What I really do:
- staying at the guest house, a shared appartment for visiting researchers, in Baridhara
- working at the centre, joining seminars and conferences
- going around the city to meet my interviewees: Bengali researchers, representatives of international "development partners", of national NGOs, and the government
- exploring the city, trying to get to know the country, and its people

... and why?
- because Bangladesh is a country most affected by climate change - without having contributed to global warming
- because the government, the scientific community, and civil society are extremely aware of, and very advanced in adaptation processes
- many different kinds of CBA projects have been and are conducted in Bangladesh by various stakeholders
- understanding and analysing such projects will help "us westerners" to widen our own, mitigation-focused perception of anthropogenic climate change, and hopefully raise our support for countries like Bangladesh
- my thesis for obtaining the "Master of Peace and Security Studies" therefore aims to enhance this understanding to contribute to Positive Peace and Global Justice