Sadarghat

I have been a very neglectful blogger, but my project in Bangladesh is finally complete, so I have a minute to breathe before heading to Nepal.


Yesterday, I went to Sadarghat, an enormous ghat (wharf) in Old Dhaka. There are throngs of people and it smells to high heaven. Totally fantastic. Some boats are used to take produce and the like between Dhaka and other places in Bangladesh. The steamboat ferries are used to shuttle people back and forth between Dhaka and the southern regions. A bunch of people work in Dhaka and then head back to their "home villages" every so often to visit family and bring back the taka they've earned.


I got to walk around two of the boats and it was like stepping into the 1800s. "Lower classes" are on the very bottom level and entire families sleep on mats on the floor. The mid-level has rows of couches for sleeping and the upper decks have cabins for those who can afford them. They're not exactly luxurious. Sort of reminded me of some "bedrooms" in NY where three of four walls are hugging the bed.


Here's a link to some of the photos I took at Sadarghat and earlier in the week in Gulshan.


Goodbye Dhaka!