Trip Report Bangladesh.

[Cujo]

I wasn't sure where to put this so DD if there is a more appropriate section please move it.
I went to Bangladesh for business last week. Unfortunately I didn't have time to extend the trip for some sightseeing so all I saw was Dhaka from the back seat of a car, offices, hotel, airport, the usual business trip scenery. Here are a few pics of Dhaka as seen from the back seat being driven around between meetings.
All these are average street scenes, nothing spectacular but I thought you all might find them interesting.
My first impression of Dhaka was a bloody freak show but it grew on me, the food was excellent and the people nice. Hopefully next trip I'll have more time to go sight seeing. It definitely left me with the feeling that I wanted to see and experience more.
The infrastructure is a bloody mess with even the 'nicer' sburbs 'streets' being dusty and dirty, it was warm and dry when I was there but they tell me it rains a lot at certain times of year. I wouldn't like to be there during the rain, I imagine it would be a bloody mess.
I had the good fortune of being invited to the home of an associate there for dinner. A very nice middle class style apartment in the middle of this clusterfuck they call Dhaka.
It was all very nice. No wine with dinner of course, it being a muslim country they aren't allowed alcohol. Even in the hotels foreigners can buy alcohol at the bar but locals cannot.
Anyway, here are a few photos of what you can expect to see out of the car window in Dhaka.

These green things are the preferred public transport mode, there are some very few actual taxis around but they are ancient, very small cars that I would not feel at all safe in. Better organize yourself a car if you're going.


A street scene in one of the nicer suburbs.


Turn 180 deg from the above photo. Lot's of Nice new cars in Dhaka.



My hotel, the best Western Lavinci, $USD80.00 plus10% service charge plus 15% VAT.


A corner


A modern building, there are some.


Street scene.






That blue bonnet there is part of a taxi. Never did get a photo of one.


I've got more pics on my phone but forgot the lead I need to put them on the comp so tomorrow I'll add some more.
The trip back was a pain in the ass, departing 9pm, 1 1/2 hour to Khatmandu, then 1 hour on the ground at khatmandu and then 5 hours to Hong Kong beside a big fat fucker in cattle class so no sleep that night.
An interesting mix getting on in Khatmandu, intrepid treckers, old hippies, a gaggle of cute Jap' chicks and ruddy complexioned Nepalese, wish I'd had time to spend a few days there as well.

[good2bhappy]

hardly changed in 10 years

[kingwilly]

excellent pics considering.

I bet it was fookin noisy.

[Davis Knowlton]

Lived there from '79-'82; looks cleaner now. Got married for the first time in Dhaka (Dacca at the time).

[andyirish57]

hardly changed in 10 years

Still filthy,smelly and full of beggers.

[ItsRobsLife]

How were the Bangladeshi's, a friendly bunch?

Good food, but no booze though... scratch that off then.

[panama hat]

Been there twice on business . . . never again, stayed at the Sheraton . . . miserable city

[Begbie]

Worked there in 1983, the city was full of squatters living in lean to's. You had to fight your way past the beggers to get out of the airport. Looks a lot cleaner now from the photos

[Cujo]

A dodgier cast of characters as that outside the airport you have never seen, and the lean to hovels were still there in some places.
They keep the dodgieist out of the airport concourses with big iron gates and fences and serious security, once you have left the immediate airport vicinity the scene detriorates into something quite Chaotic for a few km.

[Robbie Dye]

How was the cricket then?? Think England going there soon, God save' em

[Cujo]

they were playing india at the time. Big crowds outside the TV stores.

[Up2U]

No pix of the thousands of people still sleeping in the streets?

I was working there last year, only time I got to those nice wide streets was going to/from the airport.

Living/working in Banani area, supposed to be high-end living, but in the street my hotel was, maybe 100 street-sleepers.

And the food was crap outside of the Western hotels and one or two restaurants. Nice Korean place, but one cannot live on kimshi alone.