Our first two weeks of travelling through Bangladesh were fantastic. Travelling by boat and motorbike to remote countryside areas in the north, unbeknow to us, the country was in the midst of political upheaval and by the time we reached a town the situation had deteriorated. It was our intention to travel further north but we were stuck. No buses, no trains, no way out! Buses had been petrol bombed, trains had been derailed, the situation was worsening. After three days we found someone willing to risk the journey to Dhaka and with a sad heart rebooked our flight to return a week earlier than planned.
The political unrest continues still in the country, there is a continuing hartal, a total shutdown. Farmers cannot get their crops and produce the market, schools and universities are disrupted. The garment trade, the lifeline of Bangladesh is severely damaged.For what, for power! The prime minister and the opposition leader (two women) fight for power and refuse to back down meanwhile the Bangladeshi people suffer.
The photo is taken on the streets of Dhaka, police patrol the streets but were happy to share a few words with me.