Four years in Dhaka city
This is just to express my feeling about Life in Dhaka City as an expatriate. I am from Bangkok, Thailand and have been living in Dhaka for the last 4 years. Before coming here, what I heard about Bangladesh was mostly about the unfortunate natural disasters, the violent political strikes and the sunken overloaded ferries. Of course the scenes of poverty and hunger were also common on international news channels.
After stepping my foot on the land of this Bengali speaking country, I was stunned with the lives I saw by the road sides; people were just everywhere, and so it was never boring to me to have a rickshaw ride just to expose myself to the open sky, the sun and the lively streets in Dhaka city. When I started working here, I travelled mainly by CNGs, public buses and rickshaws as I did not have a car like many other Dhakabashis. People here are amazingly nice and kind though they did not seem to smile much. I struggled with the language in my first few years here and some people wouldn't mind turning themselves into impromptu interpreters and helped me through. However, I was also warned about the hijackers on the road.
What I faced was some arguments which turned to be a fight on public buses, like once one bus boy was smoking on the bus. The passengers started scolding him and some people started beating him up. Another time, I was talking with my colleague (in English of course) on the bus, and a man sitting in front was telling us 'chup koro' as he was annoyed, while another time, a young man shouted at me to be quiet as he couldn't take a nap on this A/C bus. In this later incident, a university student who gave me his seat and standing beside me questioned and argued with that man who shouted at me as anyone should have the right to talk on the bus!!
This morning I took a CNG from Dhanmondi to Mohakhali to work. The same thoughts were running in my head. I got stuck as the train was passing by under the Mohakhali flyover. It was about 10.15am and getting very warm. Many beggars were passing by asking for money. Among them, I pointed out a tall young man walking towards my CNG. He stood out the crowd because he did not look like a beggar, relatively fair complexion, thin and very tall. I saw him looking at me as he was approaching our CNG. Then he suddenly stopped at me and asked for money in a threatening voice. Being shocked, I was motionless. My Muay Thai lessons didn't become useful as I was lost for a second. On the other side of the CNG, another old female beggar was asking for some changes. Two strangers standing on both sides of my CNG with the same aim: getting my money, but with two approaches. The man threatened me more and shouted when I would give him the money as the traffic would move soon. I then said 'Ok ok, dibo.' I wouldn't mind giving him whatever I have but as he had one hand in his pocket, I had no idea if he would hurt me. As I was planning to jump out of CNG, he suddenly walked away and left me still shocked and puzzled. The CNG driver told me that the man left and he rushed away from that spot. I lost neither my belongings nor my blood, but I lost strength and confidence. My hand was shaking as I paid the CNG driver and he was sad as he couldn't do anything. Is that really true that WE cannot do anything, at all?
Two colleagues of mine concluded that it must be the same guy who tried to rob them. It was at the same spot and same type of man: tall, thin and fair. One of them had to give her money or he would hit her. Can't police do anything about such problems?
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