Dhaka is the capital city of one of Asia's youngest and poorest country. After WW2, the British left India and in 1947, this huge territory split in two; a Hindu part (modern India) and a Muslim part (Pakistan). This led to another long struggle, as the Muslims in the west of Pakistan spoke mostly Urdu, whereas the Muslims of East Pakistan spoke mostly Bengali. After many conflicts within 'Pakistan', Bangladesh declared itself independent in 1971. With a very dense and numerous population, unstable political background, and huge ecological challenges, Bangladesh still has many challenges to overcome, and accessibility to foreign visitors is certainly one of them.

Visiting Dhaka from Singapore is quite simple because low-cost flights are very regular to ferry the foreign workers back and from the home country. We were very clearly the only tourists on the flight, and the only non-Bengali too! As Bangladesh is not very open to tourism yet, you have to be prepared for being stared at!

Dhaka has many old sites to visit, and although the sites are not very well maintained, they still give a good idea of the rich historical background of the place. The Ahsan Manzil for example, right in the centre of old Dhaka, is known as the Pink Palace and was the residence of the Nawab of Dhaka, and later, of the British Colonial government.

The Lalbagh Fort has nice gardens and an interesting small museum on the Mughal kings that use to rule over Bangladesh. These Mughal kings were direct descendants from the Mughal Emperors of Rajasthan.

Another site worth mentioning is the Armenian Church. Located in the heart of the old city of Dhaka, this old church is a strange sight because completely at odd with anything you can see in the city. Small description explains how on earth did an Armenian Priests end-up in Dhaka, and how they managed to share their faith and build a big church inside the city!

Dhaka's old city is unlike anything you may expect. The streets are so packed and narrow, that neither car not motorbikes make it through, and the streets are packed with cyclo-tuktuks ringing their bell frantically. Huge traffic-jams of cyclos develop along the maze of streets, in a buzz of activity! An experience so far un-matched, even after having travelled to India! In most areas of the old city, women are really scarce, and most people you see are Muslim men in quite traditional attire.

The first steps in Bangladesh's capital is literally an attack on the senses, as sounds, smells and incredible sights mix in a mesmerizing blur. Walking in the narrow streets, lined with hundreds upon hundreds of small shops -all filled with a handful of employees selling anything from books, cakes and saris, to tyres, crankshafts or hats- is like struggling through a mysterious thick jungle, where obstacles are made of intertwined Rickshaws struggling for passage, hundreds of busy people walking in all directions with a strong sense of purpose and sinuous streets lined with tall buildings, under the gaze of Bangladeshi men sited at the shops, their orange-tinted beards: another touch of colour on the palette.

We did not plan the visit at all, and lost in the maze of streets and amongst thousands of people everywhere, a nice guy spontaneously came to us, and proposed his service as a guide. The deal was simple from the start: he would lead us into the old city and in the various places of Dhaka, and if we like it, we will give him a tip! That easy! The experience we had following this guide turned to an amazing journey when quite naturally, he brought us to the Buriganga river (which appeared like magic from the depths of the old city), and after telling us to quickly follow him, led us straight to a tiny boat, skimming the water by a mere 10cm!

Buriganga is a very busy river crossing Dhaka. Huge boats (container boats, petrol tankers, fishing boat etc) transit through this river, and as soon as we were off the edge of the river, we were slaloming between boats 15-30m high, in all confidence obviously! The river is a real living place and although the waters are quite heavily polluted, people just wash in it! Approaching the shores, the 'driver' has to paddle carefully, to avoid the kids' heads popping in and out of the water and the soft landing is made right under the prows of huge ship skeletons being built in the amazing shipyards!

On the other side of the river, more astonishment was waiting for us! Right across Dhaka Old city, we stepped into a maze of slums within a huge shipyard: Charkaliganj! The ships actually make their way all the way up to Dhaka to be washed up on the shore. The Wreaks are then submerged by ant-like workers which either dismantle the ships, or rebuild them from scraps picked up on another ship. Parts scavenged from abandoned ships in southern Chittagong are brought up to Dhaka, where ships are being re-assembled from feeble rusted metallic frames, like skeletons raising back to life. There, thousands of Bangladesh families have organised their lives around this trade, some creating propeller moulds from sand / ash, others beating the metal sheets into form on to the frames, while the olds take care of goats, and kids paddle in dirty waters. Long wooden planks are thrown to the top of the ships, and everything transits precariously through this small flexing planks.

The slums are huge, and hosts all kind of activity, from little grocery shops and markets, to warehouses and propeller manufactures! The moulds are created from shapes dug with bare-hands into the sand, and liquefied metal is then poured into it to create new propeller blades of all shapes and sizes!

 

 

 

On our second day in Dhaka, we decided to get a car to visit the country side, and the Old city of Sonargaon. After driving nearly 2 hours franticly through some beautiful and populated villages, we reached the old capital of Bengal, which now resumes itself to a simple street with abandoned houses. These houses however, reflect the very rich and glorious past of Bengal, as a province of the Common Wealth. Typical English houses, there abandon to nature makes a picture all the more amazing! The houses are now "protected" by the Muslim authorities, who decided to use them as warehouses for wood instead. Kids however, know the reality of the place, and let us meet the families, occupying the place in secret.

Dhaka was a fantastic travelling experience. We have met very friendly people, and although the capital is not safe after sunset, there are a lot of spots to visit which are relatively tourist friendly. The sight of the living shipyards within the city is just completely unique and spectacular!