Category: Dhaka


Day 120

MAY DIBOSH! MAY DAY HOLIDAY TODAY IN BANGLADESH!  In countries other than the United States and Canada, resident working classes sought to make May Day an official holiday and their efforts largely succeeded. For this reason, in most of the world today, May Day is marked by massive street rallies led by workers, their trade unions, anarchists and various communist and socialist parties.
In the United States, however, the official Federal holiday for the “working man” is Labor Day in September. This day was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor organized the first parade in New York City. The first Labor Day celebration was held on September 5, 1882, and was organized by the Knights of Labor. The Knights began holding it every year and called for it to be a national holiday, but this was opposed by other labor unions who wanted it held on May Day (as it is everywhere else in the world). After the Haymarket Square riot in May, 1886, President Cleveland feared that commemorating Labor Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots. Thus he moved in 1887 to support the Labor Day that the Knights supported. FACEBOOK entry by Shaherin Arafat

SHAHEEN (Our househelper) AND HER NIECE!

Day 117

NORTH END COFFEE ROASTERS IS WHERE my friend Ellis and I had coffee and some delicious brownies.  The owner is Rick Hubbard who is a friend of my son, Austin.  The coffee shop is located at KHA-47-1 Pragati Sharani Shahzadpur, North Badda, across from UITS not far from the U.S. Embassy.  Let me know if you like the Color or B & W version or Sepia!

Color Version

B & W

Day 100

BENGALI GENTLEMAN GETTING CAUGHT UP on the daily news.  This method saves 10 tk (15 cents) per day.  He would save $3558.75 in 65 years plus interest! This was one of the sights I saw during my 5k walk yesterday.  It’s not any cooler today, and it feels like the dog days of summer, as we say it in Iowa.  It also feels like this year is racing on, noticing this is the 100th day of this year.

 

TTL’s “BANGLADESH IN FRAMES 3” PHOTO EXHIBITION is finished.  It ran from March 25-29. The photo below was taken outside the gallery.  I am also in the group photo on the right hand side.  Look for a pale face and white hair.  It may be hard to do with the spot light that was aimed at the poster plus camera flash.  Day 76 has a better rendition of the group photo.

Day 74

BENGALI GENTLEMAN ON THE TRAIN at Kamalapur Train Station in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Day 56

GIRLS FROM SUNSHINE ACADEMY IN DHAKA, Bangladesh among the throngs celebrating Ekushi February.

 

Day 50

MY FRIEND HALIM STANDING IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MANY STRUCTURES GREETING visitors entering Dhaka for the ICC World Cup Cricket 2011. It has parts of each of the 14 participating countries represented on a cricket bat.  Today Bangladesh is playing India.  For both teams this is almost as important as the finals.  In a previous World Cup Bangladesh upset India and India is hoping for paybacks today.

Day 19

LADY IN KOLANPUR, DHAKA, BANGLADESH getting cup ready for my tea at her roadside tea stand.

Day 14

AMADER KAJER LOKER PORIBAR!  Oops, I better translate.  This is our house-helper and her family.  (L to R)  Shaheen’s son, Sultan, Shaheen (our house-helper), her daughter, Pinky (Sultana), and Shaheen’s Mother

They are standing in the doorway of Shaheen’s one-room dwelling in one of the many Bihari camps in Dhaka.  Sultan was dressed up to celebrate the festival, Muharram. The festival commemorates the martyrdom of the prophet Mohammed’s grandson- Hazrat Imam Hussein.

Day 351

PREPARING GRAPES FOR SALE IN DHAKA, BANGLADESH.

Day 347

YOUNG BIHARI GIRL brushing her teeth and checking out the foreign photographer!

“MERRY CHRISTMAS ADVANCE” ( The greeting they give here for an early holiday greeting) HERE I AM GETTING READY TO DELIVER COOKIES TO THE other 31 apartments in our building.  Since we are leaving for Indonesia on Saturday, we thought we would get this done early.  I got many invitations to come in and drink tea, eat snacks, and visit.  It was a very enjoyable time.  We have very nice neighbors!