It's Learn About Faraway Countries Day

[duchez]

fourcoffees has this for Austria over on his journal, and it seemed like an interesting move. It's tiny and most people have never heard of it, but if you have any questions about Bangladesh, comment, and I will try to answer it!

Comments

[aussie_nyc]

Is there any chance of reforming the ferry service?

I think I know what brought that question on.

[duchez]

The removal of railroads from Bangladesh, however, means that the poor masses are heavily dependent on ferries.

My uncle's work to build roads and bridges around the country now means there are some alternatives at many rivercrossings. With the largest rivers shrinking, maybe they will soon be spanned with bridges too.

According to my uncle, though, there is a proposal to shut down current ferry operators and give contracts to bus companies who run cross-country routes and have them establish regular ferry routes. The main thing opposing that are the villages depending on the ferry terminals for their economic survival.

There has to be active enforcement, though, to prevent operators from running illegal ferries, and that's going to mean doing something with the country's law enforcement. I don't think anyone wants to touch *that* right now, though.

So yeah, there is a chance. Is it going to happen soon? Unlikely.

[maga_dogg]

What's the state of the hurricane response plans and things? Do they have anything like adequate storm-shelters by now?

[kizlj]

do most people do some food growing, or is it like here where you go to the market for everything?

[duchez]

For the most part, you go to the market. Like many people here, you may have stuff in a garden or pots

[huskyscotsman]

On the topic of food-I love Indian food (the British version of it, anyway) but I don't know much about Bangladeshi food. What's the national dish? And is there anything you particularly recommend?

[duchez]

Bangladeshi cuisine centers around fish (Land of rivers and all that) and fruit. Recent government and international investment in local economy has increased the number of fisheries, so shrimp is popular, too, as well as telapia, carp, and the national fish irish which I have to find the translation for.

Shrimp cooked with coconuts and spinach is *divine*

I don't think there is a national dish per se.

I personally prefer the Bengali biriyani, which is usually lamb/goat/mutton or beef, without any of the fruits the Indians like to add, and kichuri, rice cooked with daal, and very popular to eat on rainy days.

[maga_dogg]

Hmm. Tilapia have been heavily introduced to Botswana's reservoirs; we stocked our pond with them instead of goldfish, and they bred like crazy. They're mouthbreeders, and it was always fun to watch the tiny little hatchlings scuttle into their mother's mouth all at once.

Like all good ponds, it was dark and murky, and I always wondered about how big they were getting down in the depths.

[duchez]

If I remember my father's stories correctly, Tilapia is actually from Thailand, and it was introduced to Bangaldesh rivers and ponds. I forget when.

The ponds were cool, in Bangladesh. I remember when I was 11, we joined the villagers to bathe in the pond instead of using wellwater. It was fun, but when I felt something brush my feet while swimming, I scrambled out as fast as I could. I didn't realize until then they had *fish* in there.

Tilapia is mainly a river fish in Bangladesh, I think, while catfish is popular in ponds. Or at least, what we call catfish. I don't know if it's the same as what you guys call it. (Sorta like how carp differs across geography)

[isquiesque]

What do you miss most about the place?

[duchez]

I've never lived there, so theoretically, there is nothing for me to miss, and when I visit, we're too busy with family to *see* the country (although I will never forget the trip to the crocodile / alligator farm in the middle of the night