Understanding Bangladesh

Getting the Right Shot – Photo tips from the field

All of us can remember the haunting image of the Afghan girl that graced the cover of National Geographic and the search for her following the fall of the Taliban.

With those types of National Geographic moments passing us by millions of times a day, the search for the right shot continues. Capturing that perfect image is something that all of us try to do whether we are on vacation or as consumers of journalistic images.

People say that a picture is worth a thousand words and paying close attention to some minor details can make a good picture great. Now that we have had a chance to adjust to all of the changes in the scenery, we want to provide some photo tips to help.

Film or Digital – We suggest that you make that decision, but be aware that most film should be hand checked at security checks when you can to save you time and aggravation.

Know your equipment – When choosing the camera that you will be taking with you make sure you have tried it out and have the instruction manual along with you. Today’s digital cameras have many of the same features as 35 mm cameras and trying new things can add so much to your photographs, which will leave you satisfied when you recount your journey.

Lighting – The position of lighting can make all the difference between a good shot and a great one. Keeping the sun behind when you can to help eliminate strong shadows. Don’t get me wrong, in the right situation shadows can add depth and mood. Photos taken in the early morning or late afternoon will get that ‘extra something’ you might be looking for in your pictures.

Be aware of both the foreground and background – Images that appear in the foreground or background of your pictures can have a lot to do with the quality of your pictures. Added features like a fence post or foliage in the foreground can help bring more depth to your pictures. You should also be aware of what you want and what you do not want in your picture. Photographically cutting features off or having trees growing out of someone’s head can be amusing or confusing. Yes, some will laugh at this, but look at your old photos, and you will understand.


And finally – Composition – Using the ‘rule of thirds’ is a simple tip that can make a good photo great. This is a common technique that at its most basic level takes into account the three elements of water, land, and sky. If you divide up your frame into three vertical and three horizontal segments, you can draw the mind's eye into the frame and make that good photo great.

Hopefully you can use some of these tips as you make your way through the summer and see these techniques in our images of Bangladesh.

Banskhali or Bust- 07/23/07

Today we woke up in Chittagong, the business capital and port city of Bangladesh, located on the southeast coast of Bangladesh.

Chittagong’s population is 3 million - the entire state of Iowa’s population in one city! Chittagong is well known these days as it is the home of Muhammad Yunus, recent Nobel Laureate and creator of the micro-credit concept and Grameen Bank.

From Chittagong we drove to Banskhali, which literally means “bamboo place.” Banskhali was one of the worst affected cities hit by the 1991 cyclone, which claimed 131,000 lives.

After two and a half hours of traveling via winding, one lane, flood ravaged roads we reached a cyclone shelter and school in the Banskhali village of Bariakhandi.

Cyclone shelters have been constructed along the coast to provide a safe place for citizens to seek refuge. Shelters have been put up by the government, NGOs and relief organizations, and through grants. Furthermore, schools and mosques also serve as cyclone and flood shelters as they possess room for large crowds.

Saturday, July 21: A Day of Many Bonuses!

(Journal/blog entry from Jill Watrous of Des Moines, Iowa with title by Bimal Paul!)


It was great to start the day with a brisk walk along with four others from our group. The local police happily posed for a group photograph and it was interesting to watch a man climbing steep steps in front of me while carrying multiple ducks balanced in a basket on his head.

Then there was another delicious breakfast back at Dhaka's Best Western La Vinci Hotel: a noodle and vegetable stir-fry; a papaya stir-fry mixture; a (Western style) omelette; creamy yogurt over chunks of mango and pineapple; and tea (or coffee) with milk and sugar.

After breakfast, we traveled north near the town of Savar where we were delighted with a series of arts and crafts experiences as well as many "bonus" surprises.

We embarked from the boat station at Nayarhat in two tarp-covered motor boats and traveled on the River Bongshi perhaps twenty minutes through gentle rain. We were surrounded by vibrant green plants on the banks and in the water, which was flooded outside of the normal river banks.

Our destination was Kakran, a traditional potters' village. Here we visited the first of two Hindu artisan workshops at which we observed talented artists making a range of items for local purchase and some also for export (the metal work).

At the village of Kakran, ceramic artists use local clay supplies to create hand-built artwork and to throw pots on kick-wheels. Clay slip is used to apply decorative designs. Firing takes place in an open-sided kiln dug into an earthen bank. We were happy to purchase bells and other small items that we will attempt to carry safely home.

In Kakran, we were generously included in various aspects of a wedding that had just occurred. A small band of male performers played music and danced exuberantly. We were given permission to take photographs of the traditionally-dressed bride and groom at the home of the groom, and were glad to give a traditional gift of "takas" (Bangladeshi currency) to the newly married couple.

Bimal later told us more about some traditional aspects of this and other Hindu weddings. The couple married under a canopy held up by bamboo posts decorated with banana leaves.

The third night after the wedding would be the couple's first night alone together, as on the first night, a young relative would spend the night with them - and on the second night, they would need to sleep apart.

The "second night apart" custom is based on the story of a groom being bitten by a snake when he did not sufficiently honor the goddess of the snake.

I found it hard to leave Kakran as the villagers kept providing warm hospitality and interesting activities, however the boat ride back was very refreshing.

A large group of white-uniformed school boys lined up along the shore to wave to us en route, and at the port market, our wonderful guide Moshiur helped me to purchase banana-leaf fans for our entire group (these were fun to pass out as gifts on the bus, especially as I'd almost purchased gift fans to bring from Des Moines before I realized that this would be like "taking coals to Newcastle"!)

After a lunch which included tasty fried eggplant and fried "bitter lemons", we visited some nearby handicraft market booths, then visited a second artisan workshop: Dhamria Metal Crafts, located 39 kilometers north of Dhaka.

We received a tour and saw extremely detailed work underway by artists using the ancient "lost wax" process to create molds then sculpture and bas relief objects. The showroom of brass and silver artwork was a treasure trove of Hindu images, bowls, jewelry, and other items.

Many of us have developed a fondness for images of Ganesh, so were delighted to buy Ganesh metal artworks then outside to find a booth selling more Hindu art, including posters of Ganesh along with decorative clay molds for candy and many other items.

Our guides finally were able to entice us away. They're very good about rounding us all up for departures... Khaled, a Dhaka University student who's now traveling with us as a guide, has even tried using the "Round 'em up, head 'em out!" line that I shared with him from "Bonanza".

We traveled back to Dhaka to pack up for our next long trip: heading south to Chittagong, then Cox's Bazaar.

Our departure supper tonight at the hotel was a change: Italian! Delicious shrimp pizza followed by pasta with beef and vegetables - and my favorite Bangladesh dessert: mango! I've not tired of mango yet at all, and especially loved the frothy mango drink served earlier this week.

On the bus and over meals, we discuss our concerns about education and environmental issues here... however, we are overwhelmed also with the beauty of Bangladesh, the warmth of the people and their many talents, and the incredible experiences that we feel very fortunate to enjoy here each day.

'Weather is not favorable'

We left Dhaka this morning at 8:30 with an estimated travel time to Chittagong of 8 hours. With a “weather is not favorable” warning we expected a much longer journey.

We were soon out of Dhaka, despite heavy rain, and crossing the Sitalakha River near Demra.

There was a lot of flooding as we drove along. We saw small villages surrounded by water with a narrow bamboo bridge for walking leading up to the embankment we were driving on. Many men and boys were fishing with nets in the water.

Our first stop was the Miami Leisure Spot advertising Uro Cola and sweets, turned out to be a nice shop for additional souvenirs. Some globes were distributed to the local children.

Luke and George topped up their mango bar supply, and we were once again on our way. Lunch was at a Chines (sic) Restaurant, fresh pineapple juice, chicken, beef, rice, vegetables, soup, wontons and excellent coffee. We are not going hungry in Bangladesh.

Closer to Chittagong the hills begin to rise in the distance. We glimpsed the holiest Hindu temple in the hills by Sitakunda. It’s the historic Hindu Chandranath Temple an hour's uphill climb from the road.

We entered the Chittagong coastal plane with hills to our left and the Bay of Bengal on our right. There are many industries in Chittagong because of its access to the bay. One of the major industries is shipwreck salvage.


We begin to see more thatched roofs on houses and walls and fences made from woven coconut palm fronds. Sarah remarked on the advertising on buildings, the same ads repeated over and over like Andy Warhol Campbell Soup cans.

We arrived at the Agrabad Hotel around 4:30. It was a very speedy trip without too much traffic. We were greeted by doormen with small feather dusters on their hats. All were happy to see their rooms and have time to “get fresh” before dinner.

--Maureen Smith

July 21: RAGBRAI and rickshaws

With the conclusion of the Tour de France in sight and the beginning of RAGBRAI we have thought a great deal about the throng of bike riders making their way across the state.

As bikers ride on two wheels we pondered what it would be like to make the trip on a rickshaw.

We will be tuned in to the Gazette to see all of the RAGBRAI festivities.

We urge Gazette readers and RAGBRAI enthusiasts to send in pictures of the wild and wacky bikes of all different shapes during the week’s event.

After two weeks of seeing a variety of rickshaws, we are interested in seeing strange bike pictures during RAGBRAI.

-- Dan Walsh

July 21: Agricultural comparisons

We continued our 12th day of research by traveling to Nagarpur. This area is affected by river bank erosion and yearly flooding. The four hour drive provides us with views of farm ground. Both Bangladesh and Iowa’s main economy is based on agriculture. My husband by Iowa standards would be considered a small family farmer. Let’s do some comparison.

Bangladesh -- The average sized farm is one acre (about the size of a football field). Main crops grown are rice, jute, mangoes, jackfruit (their state fruit) and others. They do grow a small amount of corn. Their main livestock is goats, chicken, cattle, and sheep. We did see one small herd of hairy hogs. Muslims do not eat pork. The farmers work is very hand labor intensive. Their main tools are hoes, water buffalo, and a few tractors. While the majority of the work is done by the men, we do see women in the saris and children laboring in the fields. Crops are harvested by hand and transported out of the field by baskets carried on the head.

Iowa -- My husband farms about 500 acres which would be considered an average to small farm. Main crops grown are corn and soybeans. Iowa is well known for hog production. We also raise beef and dairy cattle. The farmers work is very labor intensive. On our small farm we have 6 tractors, a combine, planter, and many other machinery equipment required in the production. While the majority of the work on our farm is done by my husband, our children (when living at home) and I could be found helping. We would be wearing “chore clothes” consisting of blue jeans and old shirts. Our crops are harvested by the use of many pieces of machinery including combines, wagons, tractors, and agues to put the grain into storage bins.

Along the way we visited the family of one of our members, Dr. Bimal Paul, a professor of geography at Kansas State University. The small village where his family lives consists of several corregated steel and concrete houses. One building is a shared kitchen. We were graciously greeted by his family. While there we shared books, maps, and globes with the children.

In our travels we passed several small shops that made rickshaws. These Iowa teachers had enjoyed the rickshaw art and were excited to have the opportunity to purchase several pieces. What fun?!?

In Dhaka we have been staying at the Best Western La Vinci Hotel. The staff is fantastic. They can not do enough to please us. I have a music background and have been interested in the harmonium, a small piano/accordion type instrument which one of the staff plays. I asked if he could give me lessons. Not only did he do that but he graciously offered to sell it to me. So Iowa -- get prepared. Jane is bringing a harmonium back to the States.

--Jane Watson

July 20: A Drive to Paharpur

Paharpur, a Buddhist site funded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific,and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (Photo by Dan Walsh)

The sultry day commenced at 8:00 am with the group loading into the bus for a 100 kilometer trip from Rajshahi to Paharpur. Paharpur -- pahar meaning ‘hill’ and pur meaning ‘place’ -- is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that represents the largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas. Paharpur was constructed in the 8th century and covers a 27 acre area. There are 177 rooms where Buddhist monks used to live and teach. In the center of the historical, religious, and archaeological site is a large temple built on a manmade hill, hence the name Paharpur (hill place).

The most interesting part of the trip to Paharpur was the journey getting there. The 100 kilometer trip, which is a little over 60 miles, took close to four hours to complete. The roads were mostly paved, but littered with massive potholes, intermittent sections of dirt, and were often only one lane. We passed through a countless number of villages and towns and got a better flavor of rural lifestyle. The major crop being produced was rice, with sugarcane, banana, jute, betel, and fruits and vegetables also being grown. A couple farmers were using small diesel tractors, a few were plowing their fields with cattle-pulled plows, while most of the work was extremely labor intensive being performed by hand.

Rice paddies as far as the eye can see (Photo by Luke Juran)

The domestication of multiple varieties of animals was overwhelmingly visible. Goats, cattle, and an occasional sheep were grazing in the rice paddies, ditches, and around the houses eating agricultural waste, grass, and weeds. There was a preponderance of goats, but there were even more ducks and geese. Ducks and geese were spotted walking in groups alongside the road, swimming and eating in the rice paddies, and meandering around the villages. At one point the bus had to stop to let a group of ducks cross the road- a veritable ‘duck crossing’! Furthermore, some of the fowl were covered in neon pink markings so the owner could identify them, which made for some interesting colored ducks and geese. The fowl are used for both eggs and meat.

After enjoying our destination of Paharpur we had lunch and embarked on our long return journey. En route back to Rajshahi we stopped to visit Kusumba Mosque, a place of worship for Muslims that was constructed 510 years ago by Moghul ruler Sultan Nashrat Shah. A few kilometers later we stopped at a betel farm. Betel leaves are chewed after a meal and act as a stimulant and help aid digestion. As we visited the betel farm, a village cricket game was being played and live chickens were being sold in the background.

Nodas drying to be sold as fuel for cooking (Photo by Luke Juran)

The remainder of the ride back to our hotel consisted of winding through villages and seeing more agriculture and domesticated animals. There were many timber shops along the road selling firewood, bureaus, wood for personal use, and even a few boat-builders.

One last interesting sight was passing a caravan of six van rickshaws (tricycles used for transporting goods) filled to the brim with cow dung formed on sticks. Each ‘dung kebab’ -- known as nodas in the Bengali language -- is sold for around 5 takas (7 cents) and is used as fuel for cooking food.

After returning to Rajshahi we ate some real kebabs at a restaurant and went back to the hotel to prepare for tomorrow’s surely extraordinary day. -- By Luke Juran of Dyersville, an M.A. student in international studies and a Ph.D. student in geography at the University of Iowa.

18 July 2007 - On the Road Again, and Again, and Again

We left Rajshahi at 8 a.m. this morning for Dhaka via Kazipur, where a village had been displaced and rebuilt three kilometers from its original site because of flood waters. The first-hand look at the site was beneficial; at least six-miles of one-lane dirt road along a leg of that journey were unbelievably eroded.

We are having some fun together as a group, and today’s long 11-hour, 140-mile trip provided opportunity for continued window-gawking, small conversations between bus seatmates, and some uncontrollable laughter, too.

Sights along the roadside today kept us entertained — I especially enjoyed the new sight of water buffalo being led down the roadside.

Luke is enjoying riding in the front seat of our tour bus; he said he likes the large window and view of traffic, exclaiming it’s “like an Imax theater!”

We cheered this morning at Kay’s surprise distribution of small bags of chocolate M&Ms®, which we carefully shared; we developed a five-star rating system for pit stop facilities; and under the guidance of Kathy and Jill, we wrote our first stanzas to “My Bangladesh Things,” with thanks to Rogers & Hammerstein for the tune.

Kay took advantage of the time on our hands, too, and gave us an assignment, to which we quickly responded. For Kay, we generated a list of pre-test questions for our Bangladesh unit.

One of our leg-stretching stops today was at a hospital where an elderly woman inside a waiting room excitedly introduced herself to us and shared proudly that Americans had paid for her glasses. She was very pleased to meet us; that’s a meeting I won’t easily forget.

A second memorable stop was at a hand loom facility, where men and even young boys were making beautiful cloth with foot-powered clicking and clacking looms.



We haven’t tired of taking photos. Between us, I’m predicting we’ll end up having the largest single collection of Bangladesh photos currently available and eventually posted on the Internet.

As we turned the corner in Dhaka and saw the Best Western tonight, I felt like we had come home. At check-in, most of us were given the same rooms where we were comfortable last week. The service and attention we get from employees here is welcoming and over-the-top hospitable.

All travelers are still healthy. All are safe. More good things are to come.

-- Dawn

July 19 – Thursday: The Day of the Armed Guards

We started the day being regarded by guards in green with rifles in hand at the bank across the street from the hotel. Perhaps they were concerned that we would try to cash travelers’ checks at the bank?

There followed a trip to Jahangirnagar University, home school of our guide, Moshuir. It turned out to be a beautiful facility and the presentations lived up to the promises of the well-kept Department of Geography and Environment.

Power outages aside, we heard four excellent presentations and had an opportunity to visit with the students, which is always a treat. My personal favorite was the presentation on “Hazards and Disasters in Bangladesh,” complete with charts and photographs that were very helpful in understanding the magnitude of the problems faced by the country.

The students we interviewed got into a heated argument when the lone young man in the group argued that global warming was not a problem. I thought the girls were going to come over the table after him! The time with the students was followed by the usual “tea and biscuits.”

After a short drive to an excellent restaurant, past the first golf course I have seen in Dhaka, although I hear there is at least one more. The restaurant is the site of a poster created by the Tourism Bureau that says, “See Bangladesh Before the Tourists Come."

We then went to the National Martyrs’ Memorial, one of the most beautiful and moving places we have been since coming to Bangladesh.

Again we were shadowed by armed guards (this time in blue), but this time they apparently were sent for our protection. It was somewhat disconcerting to be closely followed by men with guns, but once we found their purpose it was not so threatening.

Interviews begin

Interviews at Rajshahi University:

The day began with a visit to Rajshahi University to interview students about daily life in Bangladesh and their experiences with natural disasters.
We first met with the grades 9 and 10 students from Rajshahi University Lab School and then the university students (ages 17 to 22).

The students expressed concerns over flooding and drought and told accounts of being trapped on roofs, water shortages, fleeing to shelters, disease, and economic ruin.

In addition, we learned about relief measures the communities, national government, and NGOs had taken.

The students were also eager to describe their daily activities, hobbies, and career goals and were inquisitive about life in the United States as well.

Questions were asked regarding flooding in the United States, Katrina relief efforts, and global warming. The morning ended with smiles, hugs, and plenty of “snaps”.

Varendra Research Society:

After lunch at a local Chinese restaurant (with a Greco-Roman interior motif) we made a short stop at a local museum that housed various Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim artifacts dating back to the 1st century B.C.E.

Sopura Silk Mills: We then arrived at one of Rajshahi’s silk mills for a tour. We were able to see the step by step process of how the silk thread was magnificently turned into a beautiful sari, complete with embroidery and sequins.

I immediately identified the large machines with the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts and Manchester, England. It was a trip back in time. I was amazed to see each step done by hand in what many would describe as deplorable conditions- OSHA’s worst nightmare indeed.

After interviewing some of the workers, we found the wages there averaged about ten to fifteen dollars a month, including overtime (however, one must remember that fifteen dollars go further in Bangladesh than the states).

Rajshahi Orphanage:

The afternoon’s final activity was a bittersweet visit to the local orphanage. We toured both the boys’ and girls’ dormitories and visited with the manager, who described how these children ended up at these facilities.

Most of the children arrived because they had lost both parents and did not have family to care for them. We were happy to hear that the children did receive an education and some job training, and we concluded our visit with a donation of supplies and some financial assistance.

-- Sarah

Of rural bankers and 'phone ladies'

Checking in with those who read the blog and answering questions as we go.

We were out of town for a few days and are catching up. We were posed with a blog question about the "phone ladies." So far we have not ran into any "phone ladies" in the countryside, but we did investigate extensively the works of the Grameen Bank and Grameen Phone.

In Bangla, Grameen roughly means "rural," and the Grameen Bank offers micro-credit loans to individuals to finance projects that a regular bank would not fund due to the extremely low amount of money needed to fund the project.

Grameen Phone works in the same way. A "phone lady" is given a cell phone in a rural area, called a "district" and is given a small stipend of about 2 Taka per call (about 5 to 7 cents). The "phone lady" is given the phone and minutes to, basically to sell. This also gives the woman a chance for some sense of economic independence.

Grameen phone was also recently heavily invested in by a Norweigen phone company, who owns about 40 percent of the company, but was able to maintain the “Grameen” brand name. As we have traveled we have seen billboard, upon billboard, hats, shirts, taxi ads, and etc. advertising Grameen Phone.

We will let you know if we run into any "phone ladies" and describe the process when and if we see it. Thank you for the question and if there are other bloggers with more questions, please ask, we will be here through the first part of August.

Close quarters in traffic

In an earlier segment, under the discussion topic of traffic … which can be hair raising at times, calm on the highway, and a real tight fit as seen in this photo.

In Dhaka the bus we were riding in navigates through the city and coordinates with the van driver to solve a jam between two vehicles on a small city street.

There are many hazards that exist due to transportation and the continuous flow of people.

In drives there is a great deal of honking, hand signals, and even some close quarter face-to-face disagreements when the traffic outcome was not to one party's liking, however, this situation turned out just fine with both drivers working together to pass one another on a small side street.

Counting their blessings, and fearing cricket loss

College students are the same wherever you go! That was the theme as we spent the better part of two days at Dhaka University. The first day, as in this picture, we were introduced as visiting teachers trying to learn as much about a country in a month as we could. It may seem impossible, but I personally think that whatever we can take back to our students in the states will benefit them tremendously.

What we are seeing here every day is a country that is full of hard working happy people with a tremendous appreciation of life and the attitude that they are going to make the most out of their day as possible. Such is life in Bangladesh.

In our capacity as ambassadors, we have been stared at glared at, waved at, and even laughed at and have taken the all of the reactions in stride. In a nut shell that is the life of the people in Bangladesh. The people here, despite what we would term extreme poverty and overcrowded conditions are as happy with their lives as anyone.

As I spoke with many students at DU, I believe that the people of Bangladesh can and will contribute as much as they can with all of the energy and experience they can gather. The people of this country, like many others, accept what has been handed to them and they do the best they can to make it work.
We have seen it every day so far and yes, like the young kids playing in the monsoon rains, Bangladesh will make the best of what has been thrown at her. No sense cursing at the rain, you are only wasting your voice. As we learned the other day staring at an overturned bus, appreciate what you have been given, it could get much worse.

In another note: In the past year the favorite sporting team of Bangladesh, the national cricket team known as the Tigers, provided the people of their country with great promise by shoring up their team with many great players and advancing far into the final rounds of the World Cup. This year, amid the deal making, and all of the promise, the Tigers are on the verge of being swept by the Sri Lanka. (A national crisis from what I hear from the people!)

From the look of things, it kind of reminds me of my constant hope every spring of my hometown Cubs. Well, I do not know the fate of the Cubs at this point in the summer, but here’s toping their seasons turns out better that the Bangladesh National Tigers.

George Kuhter is the eighth grade social studies teacher at South Tama Middle School in Toledo.

Rain, rain, gone away

This time of year is the monsoon season and after only seeing rain once since we have been here we wondered if it would ever return or if we would see the beginnings of a drought.

Yesterday the umbrellas were not for the rain, but for the sun. We have got the sunburns to prove it.

Today we got our answer as a small shower brewed all day and then only sprinkled as we pulled into our new town of Rajshahi. The locals and their crops are still waiting for the monsoon.

Out and about, on the streets

By Anne Hoeper, Davenport, Iowa

Maureen and I (“the chosen”) got off to a good start today. We had a tasty and relaxing breakfast before getting ready to check out of La Vinci. We are going to head to Rajshahi for four nights. When we returned to our room, I took a suitcase to the reception area for them to hold on to until we return. As I entered the room, I noticed immediately that Maureen was wearing different clothes. It turns out that the one Kay lent her (which she had already worn to breakfast) were pajamas. It made since to that they were pajamas because they tie differently and there is no scarf. OK that’s just one more fun thing for us to remember.

Last night George pointed out that the area in front of the hotel was quiet – not a creature was stirring. Maureen and my room looks out on the back of the hotel and it was quite active with talking, noises, and people moving around. As Rex pointed out that shows the difference between the public (front) side and the private (back) side.

Trip to Rajshahi

On the way out of Dhaka there was a loud thud on the side of the bus. We looked out the windows to see a man had fallen from his bicycle. He got up and appeared not to be hurt as he smiled at us. Evidently his timing was off and he seemed to be a little embarrassed.

Are we still in Bangladesh? There’s a Ferris wheel. It’s an entire amusement park called Fantasy Kingdom. Khalid said he has gone there 3 or 4 times with his friends. Later we went past a water park. Both of these looked vacant. I wonder how often there are people in either of these establishments.

It was time to refresh ourselves. Next to the toilets there was a barber shop. After watching for awhile I realized there was more to the barber shop than a hair cut and shave. I noticed one barber holding onto a customer’s arm as he rubbed and shook it. Then he was rubbing the man’s neck and head. It was a massage. What service.

We saw a wide variety of crops on the 5 hour tour. There was rice, corn, jute, squash, mango, banana, and eggplant. Most of the rice had been harvested and there were cows grazing on the remains of the rice plants. They will be replanting the paddies at the end of this month.

We cross the Jamuna River on the fifth longest bridge in south Asia. It is 6 km long and 4.8 km extends over the water.

The highway has changed. There is a separate path for smaller vehicles. This is the only road in Bangladesh like it. It definitely helps with safety and allows the trucks and buses to make better time.

I am amazed that one can still see rickshaws in the rural areas. I had thought as we left the urban area they would slowly wane. Instead they continue throughout the rural areas carrying people and goods. In this area there is a difference in the rickshaws that we are seeing. Instead of a seat on the back there is a flat cart. They are called van rickshaws which carry straw, bricks, wood, and people who sit on he cart.

We made a stop a Natore Rajbari which was built for the Hindu king, Naren Dra Naryan early in the 19th century. It is a series of 7 rajbaris and 4 of the rajbaris are still intact.

As we entered Rajshahi, the stop lights got our attention. On the red light it says "relax." As we approached the stop light, the bus driver did not even begin to slow down. I guess the light was just a suggestion.

Rajshahi is the fourth largest city in Bangladesh and where we will be spending our next four nights. We are staying at the Parjatan Motel. It is a very quaint place with mosquito netting for our beds and the important air conditioning is available.

Emergency warning systems with a personal touch

In the countryside where flash floods and storm surges can surround a home in a short amount of time, Bangladesh uses a personal approach to emergency preparedness.

When natural disasters occur in Iowa, we are well aware of how we get our information about the emergency situation. Television, radio, and warning sirens provide us with the cue to take cover when storm conditions pose a danger to our lives.

In Bangladesh, this is a little different, of course television and radio stations are provided with a forecast and warning information as severe weather is on its way. In addition, there are groups of trained volunteers to spread the word about upcoming disaster potential.

Upon receiving word of severe weather via fax or cell phone, these volunteers must go out and warn the people in a door to door campaign to call people to the intended action. If the situation is more demanding, say in the case of tsunami which needs immediate action, volunteers will use loudspeakers in the coastal and outlying areas to spread the word. Examples of emergency messages may be to move to a storm shelter, provide information about the storm potential, or in severe cases to evacuate to a safe location.

Emergency planning takes a personal touch in Bangladesh.

A day in the countryside

Measures taken to curtail encroaching river bank erosion (Photo by Kathy Sundstedt)

After four days in an urban area, a day of fieldwork in the countryside was most welcome. Leaving Dhaka, we saw its outer ring of steel mills and brick factories, their smokestacks were the only vertical feature in a very green horizontal landscape. The road to Louhaganj, the district capital of Munshigangi, was built within the last 30 years and is significantly built up. Before that, water transport was used to get to and from Dhaka. Louhaganji and its population of 30,000 is 32 km (about 20 miles) from Dhaka, but it took about three hours to get there.

From a bus window, there is always something to look at. There are a variety of housing styles: houses built on stilts near the river, houses made of corrugated iron, the straw, Quonset-hut shaped houses, and those made of brick covered in stucco. We saw burlap tied together like tall corn shocks or hanging to dry, banana trees, palm trees, and crops unfamiliar to Iowans; children and cattle swimming in ponds and bayou backwater, fishing weirs, too.

An auditorium that collapsed as a result of river bank erosion (Photo by Kathy Sundstedt)

The river we saw is a tributary of the Ganges, perhaps 1/4 mile across. We took a motor boat that would easily carry 20 people across the river to a new resort that is being built. By September when the resort opens, other weary urbanites will be able to rent a lofted apartment on stilts for about $60-$70 a night, full board included. Wastewater is collected in a holding tank beneath each apartment linked by a common boardwalk.

Returning to Louhaganj, we saw the effects of flooding: the auditorium was partly collapsed into the river. Pole sized trees were woven into a grid, holding the bank in place. These coastal embankments are controversial—while some areas may be helped, others downstream may suffer.

A newly built resort for weary urbanites (Photo by Luke Juran

After a walk through the village, we bussed a short distance to the Ganges River. As there was no bridge, busses and trucks were being ferried across the swift chalky river, which is wide enough here to make the Mississippi River at Dubuque seem like a creek. Whitewater appears in the middle of the channel. This great river which drains from the Himalayas can only be described as impressive.

A bridge that we’ll cross tomorrow as we leave Dhaka for Rajshahi is 6 km across, and one currently under construction by the Japanese will be crossing an even larger span.

-- Written by Kathy Sundstedt from Waverly,
a teacher at Dike-New Hartford Schools

Government from the inside

The Bangladeshi flag has a green background to represent the agriculture and the red circle, slightly offset from the center, represents the fight for independence.

Following a short drive we arrived at Dhaka University for a meeting with the Department of Geography and Environment. Our meeting was in the conference room, after introductions all around, we were received by the Professors of Dhaka University. Dhaka, being the capital of Bangladesh, is also home to the Bangladesh Geographic Society. Next year, the Geography Department will celebrate its 60th year of operation. With 27 faculty with many domestic degrees and degrees from overseas, the Geography Department is a center of learning for Bangladesh. The focus of this program is to write curriculum for K-12 teachers focusing on natural hazards. The rest of the time at Dhaka University was used exchanging information with third year students in a geography class. They had many questions and knowledge about the natural hazards Bangladesh faces each year. The students also asked us questions about the effects of Global Warming and emergency preparedness dealing with Hurricane Katrina. If the climate warms, Bangladesh faces issues dealing with an encroaching sea level, more extreme weather patterns, and potential problems with agriculture.

Dr. Kay Weller from UNI passes out a globe beach ball as a prize in the Geography class at Dhaka University.

When we left the Dhaka campus we drove to a meeting with the Chairman of Universities for Bangladesh, Nazrul Islam, whose job is much like the Board of Regents in Iowa. Bangladesh has 29 Public Universities and 52 Private Universities. He explained the path that most Bangladeshi children take through primary schools and followed this through to college. Their system is very close to ours with some country wide standardized testing for admission to any of these colleges. A cultural understaning that is currently being addressed in Bangladesh is the education of women and young girls. Parents, who send their girls to school, may qualify for a stipend which is paid to the family. This is yet another way that Bangladesh addressing issues in their country. Mr. Islam had a special place in his heart for our group, because he was once a faculty member in the Geography Department at the University of Dhaka.

Dr. Rex Honey from the University of Iowa listens in as the Bangladesh National Forecasting Center gives their presentation on natural disasters, tropical storms, cyclones, flooding, and tsunami prediction models.

One would think that this was already a full day but after lunch we had scheduled appointments to address Emergency Preparedness at the Bangladesh National Meteorology Department. Living in Iowa, we are used to the natural disasters, like tornadoes, all too fresh in our minds in Eastern Iowa. Bangladesh experiences some tornadoes, in addition to cyclones, monsoon rains, and droughts. The Bangladesh National Meteorology Department has a series of radars, a Doppler radar, satellite links, and links with other concerned NGOs (Non-Government Organizations). This national system, is in many ways inadequate, the television stations in Cedar Rapids have as much, if not more sophisticated equipment.

Harmony amidst bustle

Following a late night at the drama performance, sleep was light, so I woke up early. Horns were beeping and rickshaw bells were ringing outside to announce a brand new day. The long shower cooled me temporarily, only to draw beads of sweat over my entire body when I got dressed. Partly cloudy skies greeted us and I went up to breakfast on the top floor of our hotel overlooking Dhaka.

The hotel is located on one the corner of a main road so the action on the road is constant. At the street level the start of the day for the population is juxtaposed in this way. Businessmen in collared shirts are getting out of chauffeured cars and walking into the bank across the street while workers in more traditional dress head-carry bananas and other produce. Women in saris are going into the market to shop for the daily food. Side by side it all takes place and there is harmony in this mass of color and culture.

Members of the Geographic Alliance of Iowa at the Kella Lalbagh, an ancient fortress and palace for a number of rulers. Submitted by Dan Walsh – Teacher at Metro High School (Third from right), Cedar Rapids

Contrasts in Dhaka: July 10, 2007

The significance of the Bengali monsoon was evident to our Geographical Alliance of Iowa group as soon as our plane broke through the clouds to land Monday morning.

Water and land were interspersed as we viewed a part of the world very different from our own. Cooperative weather allowed us to see a considerable amount of Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city, on Monday and Tuesday, July 9 and 10. The rains held off until the middle of Tuesday afternoon, at that point sending us back to the hotel to gather our thoughts, work on our projects, and do a little writing.

By any measure, Dhaka is a massive city. It has fully nine million people, three times the number of people who live in all of Iowa. And remember, the country as a whole crowds 150 million into an area almost exactly identical to Iowa’s.

Monday as we drove from the airport to the hotel each of us was struck with contrasts. Let us share a few of those observations with you as we have begun learning about this country that is both large (in population) and small (in area—and, to be frank, influence).

The most common vehicle is a bicycle rickshaw, really a tricycle with just one gear. The front is a bicycle. The passengers sit behind and higher than the driver.

The passengers can sit under cover. In fact, decorating the covers has become a cultural competition. As members of our group who know design explained to the rest of us, two styles predominate: paintings and appliqué.

These rickshaws of course have obvious advantages. They do not pollute; they are inexpensive, and they are flexible.

Just as obviously they have disadvantages, foremost being speed. We did see that this disadvantage hardly matters for several hours each morning and afternoon when traffic is very heavy and ponderously slow.

One could not get far with this mode of transportation under ideal traffic conditions, so one has to think that other modes of transportation will overtake the bicycle rickshaw in coming decades.

Motorized transportation in Dhaka ranges from “auto-rickshaws,” which differ considerably from the ones powered by cyclists.

This decade the Bangladesh government has forced these vehicles to switch from gas to “cooled natural gas” (CNG) with a dramatic improvement in air quality. The metropolis has few expressways, and many of the roads are choked with vehicles, so having small vehicles has its advantages.

The members of the group agreed to share their first impressions of Bangladesh.

Dan Walsh of Cedar Rapids: “It is always very easy to tell that you are “not in Iowa anymore” by looking at the traffic. When I say traffic I do not mean just the cars on the street. Traffic in Bangladesh is cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, taxis, buses and people on foot in all different directions. You see an organized chaos that is little understood unless you have witnessed it.

Luke Juran of Dyersville: Bangladesh, a country of contrast and juxtapositions. The most beautiful and unpleasant scenes can be caught in the glance of an eye or a single snap of a photograph. Poverty and technology, nature and pollution, and vivid color and dreariness all coexist in an unimaginable seamless harmony. A look out of the bus window overwhelms the senses and leaves one in awe. I look forward to understanding more of this vibrant and fascinating culture.

George Kuhter, Toledo: The people. The number of people everywhere. Bangladesh is one of the most densly populated places in the world. It seems that wherever you go there are millions of people. Even though the number of people is so massive, it seems so orderly. The sheer number of people is one of the most amazing first impressions of the country. You often hear of the sensory overload of large cities but until you hear it, see it, and experience it, you won’t believe it.

Linda Litterer, Fort Madison: Overwhelming. . . I think I will always remember crowded streets, blaring horns, rickshaws, cars and buses jostling for room on narrow winding streets, shops selling everything from fresh produce to car parts (but mostly fabric, fabric, and more fabric), and the surprising lack of disastrous accidents. In spite of endless near-misses, I saw only one man fall out of a rickshaw, and every naked child that ran alongside our bus seems to have emerged unscathed. The other image is that of people – women in beautiful traditional clothing, thin straining men pedaling rickshaws with huge loads or several people on the back, and the children playing on city streets in the rain. We seem to be the only Americans in Dhaka – not true I am sure, but we do always seem to be the center of attention. At the waterfront, we were surrounded about five deep by polite, silent men and boys who watched our every move and listened to every word we said.

Sarah Dorpinghaus, Iowa City: My first impressions tend to be visual, which is truly the case with Dhaka. I was immediately taken by the colors of Bangladesh’s capital city- greens, reds, pinks and yellows. One can not tire of watching the ornately painted rickshaws peddling by or the beautifully woven clothing of the Bangladeshi women. Yet before we were immersed with its beauty, we experienced our first taste of Bangladeshi hospitality. Since our arrival we have been lavished with kind greetings, friendly advice, and welcoming conversation not unlike that found in good ole small-town Iowa. It has been a fantastic first two days and the thrills will most definitely continue.

Dawn Brown, New Hampton: We have gracious hosts — our guides’ welcome with flowers in arms for each of us, hotel staff who salute us at the front door, restaurant wait staff standing tableside and catering to our every need, vendors who greet us in the markets, and the Bangladeshi people at-large who meet us, greet us, and enjoy posing for photos. Hospitality and service are rich values among an ambitious, hard-working entrepreneurial population. The city is a vibrant movement of people and goods. There is a lack of valuable infrastructure, however. Gee, what the people could benefit from is an improved waste disposal system and traffic control. I look forward to meeting more and more people!!!!!

Jane Watson, Hazleton: My first impression began during our 9-hour flight from London to our destination. My seat mates were both citizens of Bangladesh - a 32-year-old mother and her 5 month baby living in Canada where her husband is going to college and a gentleman who works at a financial institution in London. Both were very open in sharing their lives and their country. I asked individually, “What do you want our group of 15 USA teachers to share with our students about your country?” They both replied share about the generosity of their people for their families and each other. The children (including adult children like themselves) are well loved and cared for. As adult children going home they will be surrounded with loving attention. This love carries throughout all the people regardless of economic status. My seatmates told me to expect the people to do anything in their power that would make our stay nicer. We have been here 2 days and I have found their statements to be very true. While there are many many people in the city of Dhaka they are kind and considerate to each other and to us. They can not do enough for us. This seems true regardless of economic status. I look forward to meeting the people in other areas of this country of generous hearts.

Getting There and First Impressions

Part of the price one pays to learn about Bangladesh first hand is just getting there. The Geographical Alliance of Iowa Group Project paid that price over a 30-hour period beginning Saturday afternoon, Iowa time.

Most of us gathered at the Eastern Iowa airport for a 5:05 flight with American Airlines. We are all geography teachers, interested in seeing places. We had a good start with an excellent view of the green landscapes of Iowa and Illinois, passing directly over Dubuque and its picturesque river setting and less picturesque Rockford before taking a grand turn around Chicago.

A couple of others joined us at O’Hare Airport in Chicago for our 8:15 p.m. flight to London. As those who have flown across an ocean know, the flight begins with a round of drinks before a meal, followed by entertainment.

The American Airlines flight had individual screens and a sizable range of choices, including a map showing the route at several scales and information about distance traveled and time to go.

We reached daylight well before reaching Ireland so those of us with windows, including several of us, had high level views of Ireland and south Wales before getting an absolutely spectacular view of London as we circled Britain’s capital before landing at Heathrow at 9:30, six hours ahead of Iowa.

It was a short night with at most a few hours of sleep.

At Heathrow current realities confronted us. With the security level high, thanks to the recent bombing attempts in Britain in general and at British airports in particular, we had to forego any ideas of a quick dash by train into the center of London for a brisk walk before catching our flight to Bangladesh.

We understand the precautions. The flight to our destination of Dhaka was with British Airways. It was quite different from the American flight in a couple of major ways. One was that none of us had windows and indeed most of us had middle seats. The seats were reasonably comfortable, no problem there.

The vast majority of the people on the plane were Bangladeshis returning home or people of Bangladeshi ancestry returning to the homes of their ancestors. Many of the passengers were children, including quite a number of infants going to see grandparents for the first time.

Our 3:30 p.m. departure meant we had a view of much of Europe as our route took us over the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia before nightfall. By the time we reached daylight again we were over eastern India approaching Dhaka.

Cloud cover prevented us from seeing much until the landing. We could see the interplay of land and water that we were coming to Bangladesh to see. We made it, and we were anxious to get going.

Colleagues from Bangladesh and a tourist agency engaged to provide assistance met us at the airport and whisked us off to the Best Western LaVinci Hotel in central Dhaka. The trip took forty minutes and gave us a quick glimpse of this city of nine million people—yes, three times the population of Iowa in a single metropolis!

We were all struck at the number of bicycle rickshaws being used as taxis. There were thousands. We will provide a photograph as soon as we get some downloaded.

We showered and changed clothes at La Vinci, ready to start the firsthand part of our Bangladesh adventure.

Off to other parts of the world

Bangladesh is a long way from Iowa. In fact it is twelve time zones ahead of us, longitudinally on the opposite side of the world. Though the size of Iowa—each has about 56,000 square mile—and rural like Iowa, it could hardly be more different from Iowa.

For starters, it is a coastal country rather than situated in the middle of a continent. For another, its seasons are mainly marked by differences in rainfall rather than temperature. (By our standards even the dry season is wet; the rainy season literally is a monsoon. Rather than our average of 30 inches of rain a year, Bangladesh exceeds 100.

Where we take snowfall in stride, they do the same with flooding because in a “normal” year 30 per cent of the land surface is submerged.)

Another significant difference is that where Iowa is largely Christian, Bangladesh is almost totally Muslim. Beyond that is major differences in income. Iowans on average make about $28,000 a year, Bangladeshis about $2,300—a twelfth as much.

The most striking difference between Iowa and Bangladesh, though, is population. Spread over its 56,000 square miles, Iowa has a mere three million people. A drive across Iowa shows that we are still a farm state, though few of us actually farm.

Over an area slightly smaller than ours, Bangladesh has a whopping 150 million people! To understand the difference, consider this: The City of Cedar Rapids has a population density of about 1,900 people per square mile. The whole country of Bangladesh —the areal equivalent of our river to river state —has a population density of about 2,700 people per square mile. Even if we extract the one-third of Bangladesh’s people who live in cities (and the land they live on), the density of rural Bangladesh is about the same as that of the City of Cedar Rapids — the whole country with people as densely settled as Cedar Rapids!

How do they do it? What are the consequences? Fifteen of us affiliated with the Geographical Alliance of Iowa are about to see for ourselves. We embark on an adventure to Bangladesh July 7, returning August 6.

We will develop curricular materials from elementary through university levels based on the National Geography Standards. We will be focusing in particular but not solely on environmental and health problems because these are so acute.

We have done our homework, so we know what we are getting into. We know we will be there during the monsoon, but we have had similar experiences before. (About half of our group had similar trips to Nigeria in 1999 and India in 2003. You can see we are serious scholars, going to places that are ill-understood rather than vacation spots.)

Through The Gazette we will share with you our month long adventure. We will report on our daily activities and the lessons we learn. We will relate the ups and downs of the trip. We will give you a chance to meet us, people who teach your kids from the elementary level through the Regents universities.

Before I end this first submission allow me to say a few words about the “GAI,” our organization of geography teachers in the state. We are based at the University of Northern Iowa under the capable leadership of Professor Kay Weller. Our website includes the products of our Nigerian and Indian trips, complete with photographs and lesson plans so that anyone may learn from them.

This trip, as was the case with the other two, is a Fulbright-Hays Group Project, funded by the US Department of Education after a thorough, competitive process. We are looking forward to the trip and to sharing our adventure with you.

Rex Honey, Professor of Geography
Director Crossing Borders Program
University of Iowa