Inner beauty of Bangladesh

Us, in the Western Society, despite having everything we need and more, we still feel that we are living a miserable life and take everything we have for granted. You really don't get to appreciate what you have until you visit a country like Bangladesh where the country is full of corruption, political instability, poverty, overpopulation, lack of infrastructure, yet if you search deep enough and look from a simplistic view you will see the inner beauty of Bangladesh.

Recently I made a trip to Bangladesh for a photography job at a family wedding, in fact it turned out to be TWO ! At the same time, I had a great vacation. It was a good experience in terms of the country itself being so beautiful, although the appealing factor will not be seen straight away,  you will have to let it grown on to you to observe Bangladesh's inner beauty. It is a third world country where a lot of people and young children are suffering, however this does not stop them enjoying life and making the most out of it.

Flying over Italy...

I had the pleasure of travelling with my Uncle and his family from Italy, we met in Dubai and caught the same flight to Bangladesh. I knew it was going to be a hell of a holiday when I could see people fishing in a pond right next to the runway !!

Dhaka Airport

As we got through to the check-out, we had to wait 2-3 hours for our luggage, as they manually had to get them from the aeroplane and put them on to the conveyor belt. It did not help the fact that out of 3 or 4 belts they only use one to distribute approx. 400 passengers' luggage. But nevertheless, you can see that this system somehow works and you weirdly have a bonding experience with other passengers and are willing to help each other out in terms of reaching your own luggage. 

Checking out through the customs when leaving the airport is quite an easy job if assistants who are willing to push your trolley are paid a good amount, they will get you out through the customs with no trouble at all. So.. if you have a lot of expensive items which you don't want to pay customs for, this is a great option to choose lol ! However, an even better option is if you have a LOUD uncle who knows how to use his baby as an excuse to get passed the customs in a rush, although this option may not be available all the time haha!!

As soon as you come out the airport there's this sense of freshness, despite the country suffering. As we made the 4 hour journey to get to the family home, I did not realise I would experience so much just from this route - Dhaka's manic, rural peace, poverty on streets and nature. Passing through Dhaka, the traffic and general life of people reminded me of London. But here, there was no system, no law and it was just utter madness. Kids were having to sell little snacks and bits and bobs between cars to make a living but yet they still had a BIG smile of their faces!!

School kids

                         

 As we drove through the country roads, I encountered people working on paddy fields, women drying rice on open fields, children playing, but as we got closer to the family home there was a sense of weariness because it was getting dark and the possibility of dacoits appearing (as all Asians would know). Being hijacked in the middle of the road especially if they know you've come from abroad is not uncommon! There's this excitement among you to rush and get home as quick as possible. Luckily we made it home without meeting any unexpected guests haha. Seeing your family members and your Gran after a few years and tears of joy running down their eyes makes you realise that it was worth the 4 hour journey!

The Weddings... 

Both weddings went fine, the usual Bengali wedding job but extra unorganised, where I had to improvise alot more, on a positive note, this was a good learning curve.

As all us Asians know that our weddings cannot be without a big fat Asian wedding shopping spree! This is where a whole new experience begins...

As you sit down in shops and drink tea or coffee that's been ordered for you, you can feel the bonding experience taking place and the beauty of how it is more of a personal service rather than that of a customer and sales assistant.

When we were shopping it was sad to see a street beggar asking for some money from the same owner of this huge shop turning over thousands and thousands of POUNDS every day, but he did not even have 10 taka (10p) for this poor beggar! Yet we call this country poor!

Here's just a few shots from one of the weddings:

Finally after all the wedding hassle, it was now time to chill and check out the longest sea beach of the world -  Cox's Bazar, one of the most beautiful destinations of Bangladesh.

My first view when I got there

                       chandelier made out of shells              showpiece made out of hutki

Poochki - was very tasty !

Rickshaw Driver

Children playing 

Himchuri

The child going around with coffee.

A photographer, he wanted to take a pic of me but I made him pose instead ! 

mini Tractor ! 

TomTom Guy ! With the BEST sound system in Cox's bazar (possibly the whole of Bangladesh lol)

So, that was my experience in Bangladesh. This country is judged based on how corrupted it is but if anyone searches deeply, then they will feel exactly the way I felt and see that there is more to it! It is a country where people suffer and aren't as blessed as we are but instead of complaining, they live through every day with a smile. 

Thank you guys for taking your time to read my experience.. to finish off here's a little video which sums it all up and shows how beautiful Bangladesh really is. 

~ Mutahar Hussain