Alas Bengali ............

 

 Kuala Lumpur Airport. Waiting for the Malaysian plane to Dhaka. A suited-booted high class gentleman shouts, 'Anybody have a Bangladeshi one taka coin?' That coin can be used in telephone boxes instead of local coins of ten times the size and weight and he (?) has done so many times.

I wanted to say something, but my wife forbade, "Don't know him." If I get down to Dhaka, I will break my arms and legs...' I kept silent in inability.

(1) In Sirajganj city, hundreds of trucks are bringing stones and dropping them on the banks of Yamuna river and then taking them to the bridge area on the other side by boat. Crossed in one such stone-carrying boat in the afternoon to meet a foreign gentleman from HAM and returned in such an empty boat in the afternoon. Many workers are returning after work - will go again tomorrow morning. I was shocked when I tried to push the tiffin box of a bowl of a worker placed next to me to sit a little better, it was so heavy. But now it should be empty! After insisting, a huge steel nut was opened. It can be melted down to make two good axes.

 

 

(2) It is often seen that a housewife or an old lady is sweeping by the side of the highway. Thinking of the pure patriotism of the great volunteer work? I thought so too, at least until that day, when I was driving from Bogra with a friend. When he saw such an old woman, he stopped the car and hurried away. His face was crying as he ran to block the way. A bamboo basket on the shoulder with a wrapped broom thrown from the side of the road! When asked, he said, 'Dhenki's throat is broken, put a little cement on it.' Let me cry and run away. Another woman was carrying a goat, and as she spoke to verify her authenticity, she burst out, 'That old woman? Number one thief. Not even a brick can be put in his fire. Go to his house - the broken bricks of the state! Sell ​​baskets for thirty-thirty-five rupees.'

 

 

(3) Several years after the construction of Yamuna Bridge, I went to the house of a well-to-do villager on the west side of the bridge. Tin house but paved floor. A thick carpet of one color on the floor. well known

I could not recognize it. Probably laid out on the floor of the plane. Seeing my eager look, the landlord said, 'You are catching right. Things, of course. 100 year guarantee. If in water, 500 years dry. Foreign goods brought for leaves on both sides of the river while making the bridge. The Bengali laborers of Shala are half drowning in the river - bringing jaya tuila to the rice. This piece (approx. 20 feet by 15 feet) wanted 500, gave 200.'

 

 

(4) I spent almost a month in North India during the fasting period and almost froze in the cold. I crossed the border on the 25th/26th of fasting and reached Darshana station. It's time for the train, but there's no one at the ticket counter - he's outside sunbathing. At first he didn't want to get up to pay the ticket, he said, 'I don't need a ticket. You have to get on the train and manage the TT.' He insisted and gave two and a half tickets to Biras Badan. A few days before Eid, I was forced to board the buffet car in the bag of smugglers of sugar and garam masala. The elderly TTE came and gave tickets to each one, when they said give tickets, everyone started paying at least 5 taka and some started paying 20 taka. Mr. TTE filled his pocket and went to the next room saying that he will not pay 'this money', he will pay more. Only come to us and ask for a ticket - he did not look up even once!

Before reaching Ishwardi, it was time for iftar. That TTE sahib came and sat on a table with towels, dabs, bananas etc. (must have been collected from hawkers) and hot chops, piyaju and chickpeas from the buffet car.

I really wanted to throw away the iftar with that towel and say, 'This is not for you!'