For those used to life in Dhaka City, the only breaking aspect of this story might be that the curfew has been imposed a few hours early this year. Police and military imposed curfews happen with such regularity here, they really need a more efficient system of announcing them. I, like many people here, found out by getting a call from a relative. This relative, in turn, found out from her children as they were returning home. Thank God for cellphones – I made it back with but minutes to spare.
Curfews are not at all uncommon here in Bangladesh. My very first blog post here was regarding the post-riot curfews that were imposed across the country. This curfew is a lot more limited. It’s restricted to the parts of the city where foreigners tend to live, shop, and hang out. These areas are also the few places in the country where you can get alcohol. I guess the official government/police/military explanation (it’s really hard to tell them apart now seeing how democratic rule is currently suspended) is that they want to avoid drunk and disorderly behavior.
But some people aren’t buying that story. I’ve written up an article for NowPublic talking about some of the speculation that I’ve been hearing. I guess, when you live in a place where curfews can be imposed on short notice, it’s easy to start speculating.
A copy of the NowPublic article is available after the jump. You can also read it at this link.
Continue reading ‘Dhaka Rings In New Year with (Limited) Curfew’
Wow – when I first came to Bangladesh, I never thought I’d be staying here for so long. I definitely never expected to be able to see any of my friends until I went back home. But, as fate would have it, one of my friends from Notre Dame is actually coming to Bangladesh. Her name is Alicia and she’s going to be studying for her Master’s in Public Health at BRAC University.
In many respects, I feel that Alicia and I have come to the same destination by the same inspiration – but on different paths. Notre Dame is a huge part of that inspiration. Before I came to Notre Dame as a graduate student, I was able to experience what it is like at other universities and colleges. What makes Notre Dame unique is that it really does inspire you to want to make the world a better place.
It was thanks to Notre Dame – and the cancellation of classes for a day as part of its Campus-Wide Forum on Global Health – that allowed Alicia and I to hear Dr. Jeffrey Sachs for the first time. It was Dr. Jeffrey Sachs who inspired us to believe that poverty can be eliminated in our lifetime. And it was Dr. Sachs’ work that instilled in us an importance on global health as a key to ending extreme poverty.
I’m going to try and encourage Alicia to try and blog (and video blog) as much of her experience as possible. But, I seriously doubt that can happen. The reason I put my academic life on hold to do this project is because it is really hard to blog and video blog when you are in demanding Masters program. This Masters of Public Health program at BRAC University (that Alicia is in) requires extensive field work in remote rural villages.
I don’t mean to sound like an advertisement for ND, but – seriously – if everyone was as committed as the people I’ve met at Notre Dame to try and make the world a better place, can you imagine how much better the world would be?
Who is Benazir Bhutto and why is she someone who should be remembered even if you’ve never heard of her before? She was a politician and former Prime Minister of Pakistan. But more importantly, she was the first female leader of a Muslim country. She didn’t walk around in a burqa, cover her face, or get bullied/wiped/stoned by any man. In many respects, she was a catalyst for the emergence of progressive Muslim countries which were democratic, progressive, and respectful of both women and female leadership.
Now she’s dead.
And I can’t help but think that those who killed her did so because they hate democracy, progress, and don’t want to respect women or see another female as a leader of a Muslim country ever again.
From what I’ve noticed, most people who get honors on their YouTube videos usually don’t blab about it on their blogs. But, I can’t help it because I just can’t believe that these videos are getting that popular.
For the first time, The Uncultured Project has shown up on the first page of the daily honors. In the Travel & Events section, Christmas in Dhaka is currently the 15th most discussed video of the day. It even surpassed “Santa Gets a Blowjob”.
This video is also currently 50th top favorite for the day (Travel & Events), 16th top rated for the day (Travel & Events), and 83rd top rated for the week (Travel & Events). Wow!
Belinda Meggitt is someone I met here in Bangladesh through Mikey Leung. In one of her recent blog posts, Belinda asks the question if candid photographs of third world suffering constitutes a form of voyeurism. One thing I’ve learned since going to the cyclone disaster area is that, when it comes to cameras, the poor are often be treated like zoo animals.
There is a right way and a wrong way of taking photographs. If you want to be respectful of those you are photographing or filming, you sometimes have to risk coming back with horrible shots or horrible footage. Filming and photographing should come second – being respectful should come first. This was exactly what my experience was with Save the Children. When I was handing out my blankets, filming was done in a corner away from the kids. A lot of the footage didn’t turn out that well – but all of it was gathered in a unobtrusive and respectful manner.
Unfortunately, not every cameraman is that respectful.
A lot of people gathering footage and photos would sometimes setup their shots – asking aid recipients to stand, pose, and look at the camera. Sometimes this can be unobtrusive and just a simple request. Other times – and I’ve actually seen this – people would be tugged at, pulled, and placed into position. One time I saw a kid who was hiding her face by tightly hugging her mother. Staff members from a charity wanted to take a photo of her – so an aid worker came and stuck his hand under the kid’s chin and lifted her head so that her face could be visible.
But even if you aren’t manhandling your subject – there are other concerns as well.
As someone rich enough to have four walls around me and a roof over my head – if I want privacy, I close the door. What about those too poor to own a home? Or, as with Cyclone Sidr, have recently lost their home? Their private moments are made public by the simple fact they have no place to call their own. As someone who is behind the lens, I can tell you it’s a very tough call. There is always this feeling that if you are able to take a good photo or get good footage – it just might be what inspires others back home to start giving a damn. I think a lot of charities which gather footage and photos feel the same way.
Whether or not someone receives your charity – they always deserve your respect.
In many ways, I feel that I have the spirit of Notre Dame with me wherever I go in Bangladesh.
Here I was, in the cyclone disaster area, walking along this broken road surrounded by destruction. People all around me had just lost their homes and were waiting in a line hoping to be able to get relief or aid. Then, from the crowd, someone yells at me “NOTRE DAME!”. I turn around and there is this guy sitting on the road smiling at me. He couldn’t speak any English and most likely couldn’t read or write. But he could recognize the famous N-O-T-R-E D-A-M-E anywhere.
Apparently, wearing a shirt that says Notre Dame counts more for a shirt that says Save the Children.
Notre Dame has a huge presence in this country. My dad used to go to Notre Dame College in Dhaka. This college was founded by the same Catholic organization that founded my alma mater back in South Bend. They do some amazing work which I hope to feature in an episode sometime in the future. Until then, check out my photos that I took of Notre Dame College Dhaka.
It’s both touching and makes me homesick to be so close – and yet so far – from Notre Dame. Go Irish.
