Insights About Life in Bangladesh

Short blog entries can keep readers up to date with events at IUBAT, but it could be a challenge to accurately portray life in Bangladesh through brief posts.

For those looking for more insight on what it is like to live in Bangladesh, and more specifically, Dhaka, we suggest reading the following blog entitled, “A Year in Bangladesh”, written by a professional writer, Ann Coughlan, who spent 13 months as a volunteer with VSO, a partner organization of the Bangladesh Health Project.

Although she acknowledges that her experiences with “Eastern culture are from the perspective of a Western observer,” her thoughtfully organized blog entries are enlightening, introspective and entertaining, well worth a read for a glimpse into Bangladeshi living.

To read Ann Coughlan’s blog, click here.

International Nurses Day 2014 at IUBAT

Every year, nursing is celebrated across the world on May 12th, International Nurses Day, and Bangladesh was no exception. To commemorate this annual day of recognition, the IUBAT nursing students organized a memorable event and celebration. Sara J., volunteer faculty for summer 2014, writes:

“The ceremony began with a traditional Bangladeshi dancer. Heather Cruden, the Canadian Ambassador to Bangladesh, gave the opening speech. The stage was decorated with floral arrangements, bouquets, and garlands of jasmine, roses and tuberose. I had the honour of lighting the symbolic Nightingale lantern with one of the students. One of the senior Nepalese nursing students spoke of his feelings on becoming a well-trained professional nurse, worthy of respect. Afterwards, the students ran a health screening clinic for IUBAT faculty, support staff, and students, checking vital signs, BMI, blood sugar and vision. The turnout was good, including a newborn baby with his proud mother and grandmother. The celebration concluded with tea, cake and fresh coconut juice. This was one very special day.”

For more pictures, please visit our Flickr page.

Changes in the Neighbourhood

View 1 in 2010

View 1 in 2014

The neighbourhoods in Dhaka are ever-changing, and the area around the volunteer guest house is no exception.  Alex Berland, Senior Advisor to IUBAT, writes about the neighbourhood:

“I photographed these views this afternoon from the roof of our apartment block.  I took the pictures on the bottom of each pair in 2014, and the photos from 2010 are the ones of the top of each set, for comparative purposes.

The nearly-finished building next to ours (blue arrow in View 1, 2014) was constructed so poorly that it is already tipping on its foundation – but fortunately away from us, but not so fortunately for the encampment of Hindu fishermen who live on the other side.  The little “farm” at the end of our street is still there (yellow arrow in View 1, 2010). Today Khulsum, the farmer, showed me her new baby goats. They and ten older goats, plus Khulsum, her elderly mother and sister, and a cow and a bunch of chickens live in a space the size of a small Canadian city lot.

View 2 in 2010

View 2 in 2014

The street is paved now, with drains even. The landscaping is well-established, thanks to the climate. There is only one more vacant building lot near us. Once it is completed, the construction nightmare will be finished.

Our mushrooming middle-class neighbourhood is one result of 300,000 people moving to Dhaka every year. Sadly, the local playgrounds have been stolen by “land-grabbers” in cahoots with corrupt city officials. The good news is that it is still a friendly community where neighbours greet us as we walk to the university about 10 minutes away.”

For those who have travelled to, and volunteered in Dhaka, it may be interesting to see how the neighbourhood has changed and grown, yet stayed the same in familiar ways and with familiar faces.