Shahed Minar Pictures

The Shahed Minar - commemorates the martyrs, mostly students who died February 21st (Ekushey February) 1952.

Ma, Ashfaq Bhaia, Nisha, Me, Dad

Same, but closer.

Dacca University

Cool Mural

Sculpture with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the top.

Two Days Of History - March 26th and Shahed Minar

My second to last day in Bangladesh fell on March 26th, Bangladesh's Independence day. Independence day is a pretty low key affair in Bangladesh; there's no flashy fireworks show. Most people enjoy the day off with family. Around the city I saw many Bangladeshi flags and pictures of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first Bangladeshi PM. A couple of days before March 26th, my cousin Dhola eagerly gave me a much needed history lesson on Bangladesh. She spoke with a great deal of pride and reverence for Bangladesh and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The night of March 26th my parents, uncle, cousins, and I took a walk around the Buri Ganga.

I went to the Shahed Minar my last day in Bangladesh. The Shahed Minar is a monument that commemorates the martyrs of the language movement. From conversations I had with Bangalis who have gone to Bangladesh, most if not all have never been to the Shahed Minar, which seems odd to me because of its significance in Bangladesh's history and culture. I don't speak bangla well because I rarely speak it, but I understand it and it's been a significant part of my life through my parents, music, and television. The monument itself was nice. But, the monument grounds was covered in trash. Litter is a given for any big city, but seeing so much of it in front of this great monument bothered me. It seemed disrespectful.

In fact, the Shahed Minar is rarely kept clean except on Ekushay Feburary or if filming is going on there. That's why it always looks so pristine on TV, ugh the facade again. As a sign of respect you shouldn't go up to the monument with your shoes on. But, because of the litter, I didn't take my shoes off and because I didn't take my shoes off I didn't go up to it. I wasn't being finicky just cautious. I was still recovering from my bout of traveler's diarrhea. The last thing I wanted was hepatitis.

It's a different experience to read about a country's history in a book or a wiki article than actually going to the country and seeing the manifestation of that country's history through its people, the clothing they wear, the language they speak, and the religion they worship. You can't really get this connection through simply reading.

Cholo Amra Bashundhara Jai - The Modern Facade

The title of my post comes from a Bangladeshi advertisement for flats in the posh district of Bashundhara. The advertisement ends with a woman saying in singy songy voice, "Cholo Amra Bashundhara Jai - Let us go to Bashundhara." Bashundhara district shares its name with Bashundhara City mall. Bashundhara City is one of the largest malls in South Asia and the WORLD.

To me Bashundhara city seemed out of place like seeing a Mercedes parked in front of a housing project. A Mercedes symbolizes success, achievement, and wealth. The projects, on the other hand, symbolizes the polar opposite of that. The person driving the Mercedes gives an appearance of wealth, but it's a facade and that's what Bashundhara City is, a facade. Bangladesh isn't any less poor or more modern because of this mall.

Another problem with Bashundhara City is that it's like buying a hummer and not being able to afford the gas (sorry for getting my point across with car examples). Bangladesh doesn't have the infrastructure to support a mall like this. Bashundhara doesn't even have air conditioning! People go to a mall for three things: shopping, eating, and air conditioning. I couldn't and wouldn't eat at the food court after I saw a cockroach run from one garbage can to another. Ick. I didn't buy anything from the stores in Bashundhara because surprise surprise almost everything sold there can be bought for cheap at local bazaars.

Bashundhara does share one thing with a modern Western mall, one that I didn't expect. Bashundhara offers teens, young adults, and couples a place to hang out. I saw groups of guys checking out girls, girlfriends hanging out, and couples arm in arm or hand in hand even embracing. I didn't see any PDA in Bangladesh except inside Bashundhara City. It's a place to waste time kindling young hormones like…a Western mall? Wow. An uncommon common denominator.

Inside Basundhara:

Elevator

Rotunda

ooo technology

Just hangin' at the mall.

Sena Sahayok - My Visit To A School For Children With Special Needs

By a strange twist of fate I got to talking with an uncle at the Mukeh Bhaat ceremony I had attended. He told me that he was the principal of Sena Sahayok School, a school for children with special needs run by the Bangladeshi army. I asked him how he got involved in special education. He then introduced me to his son who was diagnosed with autism and goes to the school. The school's motto is, "Special Child Special Right." That right being an education. He invited me to the school for a tour and to meet the children. I didn't think this chance encounter was mere coincidence so I said, yes.

The school is in the Dhaka cantonment. The cantonment is "Dhaka-lite;" there's less noise, rickshaws, people, and more structure and organization. People obey the traffic laws! The building itself is big and modern. Inside there is an administrative wing, classrooms, a physiotherapy room, speech and language therapy room, and a music and dance room, etc. The staff consists of a clinical psychologist, a speech language therapist, an occupational therapist, teachers, etc. To prepare its students for life after school and adult life in general, students learn a trade or skill and things like self care and cooking.

A student threw a tantrum in one of the classrooms I visited. Three teachers stood around him, dumbfounded. The teachers had no idea what to do. The principal talked to me after and said the biggest problem with his school is not a shortage of teachers, but the training they received, which is basically no training. The teachers become easily confused and frustrated in certain situations. This school needs someone to give them the proper training so they can meet each child's needs.

If you are reading this, please share this post with someone you know in special education (professors, teachers) willing to train teachers for a summer or more in Bangladesh at Sena Sahayok School.

The principal is fluent in English.

For more information, contact:

Email: ssbdarmy@yahoo.com

Physiotherapy Room - Filming was going on in there for a documentary.

Many of the students have social impairments. Notice this child has trouble making eye contact.

Speaking to the principal and teacher.

I came during lunch time.

What are you eating?

I noticed this board on my way out.

It had the pictures, names, and basic information of each child.

Talking to the kids.

The principal talking to one of the kids.

The principal. He loves the kids and knows them all by name.

Artwork done by the students.

Learning games.

The outside. As you can see it's wheelchair accessible.

There are about nine students in a class with about three teachers to each classroom.

There's no shortage of teachers, but training is needed.

The music and dance room. Traditional bengali musical instruments. Above was a mural of Happy Feet.

Large dance floor.

A cooking class where the children were learning to cook ruthi (bread).

Reinforcement through encouraging words and applause.

Special Olympic Winner.

The right side of the playground.

The left side of the playground.

A third world country like Bangladesh should be commended for establishing such a wonderful school.