So what have you been up to?!?



The view from our apartment before engaging in hectic Dhaka city life



Hey young world,

long time, no hear! All is fine in good old Dhaka. Well, almost - but I will get to that in a minute.

My daily routine on weekdays on my way to work is waiting for the lift in the mornings. And when the lift arrives it means riding in snail speed until we arrive on ground floor. I know, first world problems in a third world country. But the complex I live in is so huge, that it takes forever to get out of it.

With around 80 flats here, there is a bunch of security guards lingering around downstairs. Their job is basically to sit around, pick their nose once in a while, get up when you pass them and salute you. Therefore walking out of the apartment complex is prolonged by greeting at least four security guards back on my way out.

I feel uncomfortable most of the times. It is truly unnecessary for them to get up. But then I think, they don't have anything to do all day long and this might be the most exciting thing about their job.

Work has been different lately, as we are not able to visit factories as frequently as before. There is a smell of political disagreement in the air, that hinders business.



A small procession at Elephant Road



Bangladesh is in a mode of turmoil right now. For weeks national strikes have been called by the opposition (3 to 4 days), as we have upcoming elections early 2014. Barely any cars, busses or CNGs fill the streets of Dhaka. Some get lit on fire and everyday you hear that at least a handful of people die due to political violence somewhere in Bangladesh. I have heard a few crude bombs go off myself around the Gulshan/Banani area and seen this huge cloud of smoke over the city, when probably a vehicle was lit on fire.

Crude bomb blast at Gulshan-2

We've been safe so far but everyone's affected by the strikes called "hartal". We can't go on factory visits and have trouble shipping our goods out of the country. The little people, relying on an everyday income, suffer the most! The longest hartal during the last four years, it lasted 84 hours, just ended today. I guess somehow life will be back to normal tomorrow... So what have you been up to?!?