More Bangladeshi humor: A voting booth made out of Playboy fabric in Rajshahi!
Unfortunately, I can't take credit for the following one. I completely missed it during my visit to Panam city.
Showing posts with label Rajshahi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rajshahi. Show all posts
Saturday, June 22, 2013
More Bangladeshi humor
Unfortunately, I can't take credit for the following one. I completely missed it during my visit to Panam city.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Rajshahi: The Land Of Mangoes
From Langda to Fazlee there are over 30 varieties of mangoes including the gigantic Sukurkand (weighing in at around 6 kilograms), the ‘Jora Aam’, a merger of two mangoes, giving it a very distinctive appearance, resembling the shape of a human heart. The mango is one of the most delicious fruits of the world and is rightly designated as the 'king of fruits'. The ripe fruit is peeled and the pulp is eaten as such. Green fruits are often put into curries or 'dal' for extra taste.
Mangoes and Rajshahi are seemingly interlinked and with the diversity in its varieties, mangoes are a matter of great pride to residents of Rajshahi.
And returning without at least a basket full of mangoes from a visit to Rajshahi during the summer would seem to define the ‘unthinkable’. We did not dare to offend the district, therefore we loaded up on 160 kilos altogether! Plus some bananas.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
What hotel are you staying at?
While in Rajshahi, a friend was curious to find out on Facebook what hotel I was staying at. Not that the selection was that great.
My answer: Nice.
Friend: Nice, nice, but what is the name of it.
Me: That is the name, Nice Hotel.
As a side note, at the Hotel Nice only the bugs were nice. This was some pipe in the bathroom.
My answer: Nice.
Friend: Nice, nice, but what is the name of it.
Me: That is the name, Nice Hotel.
As a side note, at the Hotel Nice only the bugs were nice. This was some pipe in the bathroom.
"Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others." (Churchill)
This past weekend Bangladesh held elections in four key cities across the country — Khulna, Barisal, Rajshahi and Sylhet. I had the opportunity to go to Rajshahi as an observer along with two other people from the US Embassy.
First a little bit of background. Bangladesh is a big country from a population standpoint. Dhaka, the capital has 15-16 million people. Chittagong, the second biggest city has 7.5 million. But after these two cities the rest are really minor population wise. Khulna, which is the third largest city, has just over a million people. The other three, where mayoral elections were held yesterday, have less than a million, therefore you can call them ‘second tier cities.’
The local elections were important, just because the results could reflect a nationwide erosion of support for the ruling Awami League party six months ahead of general elections. Any vote against an Awami League candidate could be seen as a verdict against the government's performance.
First a little bit of background. Bangladesh is a big country from a population standpoint. Dhaka, the capital has 15-16 million people. Chittagong, the second biggest city has 7.5 million. But after these two cities the rest are really minor population wise. Khulna, which is the third largest city, has just over a million people. The other three, where mayoral elections were held yesterday, have less than a million, therefore you can call them ‘second tier cities.’
The local elections were important, just because the results could reflect a nationwide erosion of support for the ruling Awami League party six months ahead of general elections. Any vote against an Awami League candidate could be seen as a verdict against the government's performance.
While the election went mostly smoothly, there was some violence preceding it. An activist campaigning for a Barisal candidate has been shot and supporters of two candidates clashed in Rajshahi. Turnout is usually high in elections in this country and this one was no exception.
The pictures below are from the elections day in Rajshahi.
Most of the stations were gender segregated, which was something interesting for me to observe. My enthusiasm at the sight of long lines at the women booths dissipated when I understood the reason behind it. Literacy rate is lower among women, therefore it took longer to explain the process to them. Sad, but true.
A polling official with the voting materials. You can see the ballot boxes. They are transparent and seal easily with the plastic zippers, both anti-fraud measures. When voting finishes, the flap on the top also closes and locks with a plastic zipper.
A close-up on the ballots. There was one ballot for the position of mayor, one for the council, and one being reserved for women. As in previous elections, the ballots use symbols to represent the candidates so that illiterate people can vote. Outside, all the election posters feature the candidate’s picture together with his or her symbol so you know to vote for “lock” or “pineapple”.
The pictures below are from the elections day in Rajshahi.
Most of the stations were gender segregated, which was something interesting for me to observe. My enthusiasm at the sight of long lines at the women booths dissipated when I understood the reason behind it. Literacy rate is lower among women, therefore it took longer to explain the process to them. Sad, but true.
A polling official with the voting materials. You can see the ballot boxes. They are transparent and seal easily with the plastic zippers, both anti-fraud measures. When voting finishes, the flap on the top also closes and locks with a plastic zipper.
A close-up on the ballots. There was one ballot for the position of mayor, one for the council, and one being reserved for women. As in previous elections, the ballots use symbols to represent the candidates so that illiterate people can vote. Outside, all the election posters feature the candidate’s picture together with his or her symbol so you know to vote for “lock” or “pineapple”.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)