Here you go, Cis

I was "tagged" and told to post 8 things people may not know about me...and since I don't want whatever dire consequences would come from failing to do so, here we go....

I think I can eat popcorn with parmesan cheese and brewers yeast every day of my life and be perfectly happy!

I like to pray when I go for my walks so I don't get distracted by my need to organize my sock drawer or dust under the bed. I also haven't noticed people being particularly alarmed by me talking or singing under my breath.

I think people are more beautiful the darker they are....opposite of what darker people tend to think. I really wish they would stop buying "Fair and Lovely" whitening cream and be happy with themselves.....or trade me.

I've always been scared of spiders, and stuffed that fear a big until I saw how massive they can be in Bangladesh. Now I'm terrified again.

My favourite holidays are active....hiking, canoeing, snorkelling, cycling....

I try to be intellectual and choose good movies and books, but truth be known....nothing beats a good romance! Please don't knock a Meg Ryan film in my presence!

hmmmm....i'm at 6 now...2 more.

My favourite colours are orange and purple...not necessarily togehter, but sometimes....sure!

When I get scared I tend to utter words which can't be repeated here.....so you think I'm a nice, calm person until you almost run into me with your car or swerve in front of my motorcycle....then you'll maybe be surprised a nice girl likes me knows those kinds of words.

Was that ok, Cis? hope so!!!

Wheels!

I finally got my motorcycle learners permit and motorcycle. It still is hard to get my head around after the years with Peace Corps knowing I would be sent home immediately if I ever rode on a motorcycle. Still, I was surprised how excited I was to have my own wheels. My first day out and about in my town, I ended up heading across the bridge to the Jamuna Resort, where I just couldn't resist jumping in the pool for a swim, clothes and all. Mind you, for most Bengali's, this is the typical swimming attire! Even at the beach, swimming (for women) involves wearing shalwar camisse which includes baggy trousers, top, and large scarf. It does feel as if one may drown swimming this way! Anyway, regardless of the attire, the swim was nice, and even more so, the freedom. Now the not so fun part has come.... passing a written test (passed on my second 3-1/2 hour trip to Dhaka), a verbal test, and coming next week, the figure 8 test. Wish me luck!

Life after Nepal

Nepal was fabulous, but there has been a rather hectic and crazy life after Nepal and I just haven't had time to sit down and write. The HIV pilot program was pretty much wrapped up on the 29th, and now we rapidly have to try to figure out what should be duplicated with 3 different partner organizations, get the staff trained, and get going on it. I'll tell you more about the whole program soon, but also wanted to let you know that MCC's Commonplace Magazine, which is free and sent 6 times a year, will feature our program in the next issue.

Hopefully I'll get back to you tomorrow to tell you about my travels in India, and maybe a bit more about the work we've been doing. Also, I really appreciate hearing from you, so if you actually read this blog, could you comment or send a brief email...it would really make my day!

Words

Nepal....majestic mountain range...often hidden from view and you'd never even imagine they could be there....and then...just a brief break in the clouds and there they are in all their glory. Wheat fields of different shades of maturity. Women drying the ripened grains in the sun. Wrinkled old woman asking about my bracelets and if they signify marriage as theirs do. A Nepali woman giving me a seat out of the hail storm while demonstrating the traditional Gorung bag she is in the process of weaving. Watching storm after storm roll across the mountains as they disappear under dark clouds and re-emerge. Listening to stories of life as a Bhutan refugee, whose family was kicked out of Bhutan for being Nepalese, yet not given rights in Nepal, and still longing to go home after 16 years, turning down opportunities for an American visa. Resting at a Nepali farm house and being told I look and laugh like the younger sister. In my travels I have met many wonderful people, but never so many who made me feel so welcome and who gave me such an authentic view of their lives in an area that sees many passing by. And why may I never be able to reintegrate into the US.... $6 for a nights accommodation, 2 meals, 4 cups of milky tea, and I think that's a bit pricey!

Himalaya's

Our MCC retreat, for MCC ex pat staff from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Bangladesh, with some guests from different places joining us as well, was held in Phokara. Phokara is a town nestles by a lake surrounded by the Himalaya's Annapurna range. During our 4 day retreat, however, you would not know this was the case. They were almost completely hidden until most people had returned to Kathmandu, and only those of us who stayed on a bit were able to truly see their glory! (you've got a few photos that aren't so great because it's not uploading the right ones....TECHNOLOGY....sometimes NOT my friend!)

A picture's worth...

I have 364 photos, which will probably convey the idea that I LOVE NEPAL!!! I had a really wonderful time visiting MCC's HIV partners, touring Kathmandu, hanging out in Phokara, and doing a 2 day trek (all I could fit in). O, yeah, and with the MCC retreat, my real reason for being there, as well. I definitely want to go back for more, and for those of you planning your holidays, put Nepal on the list. Rather than waffling on, look at what I saw!

NEPAL!!!

Working with MCC in Bangladesh doesn't have a lot of the extravagent perks you'd get with a lot of international organizations (that darn adherence to MCC value of simplicity of lifestyle) but a staff retreat in Nepal is certainly a treat! I arrived on Tuesday afternoon with a few extra days to visit HIV projects of MCC Nepal. My schedule had to be changed due to some political disruption and fuel crisis, but I was still able to visit a few sites...one with an interesting van ride up a steep mountain (hill in these parts, but to me, a mountain!) to see a very well organized peer educator program in what I would consider the middle of nowhere! Kids climb mountains for 2 or 3 hours to get to school, and how they bring in food and such is a mystery to me. It gave me good inspiration for MCC Bangladesh's newly emerging peer education program! Thursday night I had dinner with a colleague I'd worked with in Zambia and his wife which was really a nice treat (ate a massive, juicy steak...num!). With the change in program I ended up with a day to explore Kathmandu yesterday, which was interesting. I went to an ancient square of religious monuments, hit the local shops, ate organic veggie full lunch, and then visited Boudha...a place of Tibetan pilgrimage....all very interesting. Now I'm in Phokara and our retreat will begin shortly. I'm hoping to arrange a day or two of trekking before leave but won't have much time. Photos and more tales shortly!

Beaches

Another 6 hours on a bus, and we were suddenly seeing sparkling waters. We took a ferry ride to the island of Koh Chang, a ferry ride, and then trekked until we found the “o so cool hippy hangout” described by Lonely Planet. Seeing that everyone else also reads Lonely Planet, it was full, but eventually we did find a nearby place of similar coolness and price range (about $4 for a small primitive hut with a bed big enough we figured the 3 of us could sleep). The best part was having dinner right on the water…a setting that would be out of our price range in most countries.

The first place we went had a new place which was described as the last remote beach in Koh Chang, so we decided to go there the next morning. It was about a 2 hour drive, the last bit of which did convince we certainly were at least making a good attempt to “get away from it all.” Once again we had a primitive hut with a bed which we decided really wasn’t big enough for the 3 of us, but we didn’t decide that until after 2 rather cramped nights. We swam, laid on the beach, read, and spent the evening sitting around tables eating and relaxing listening to the waves. Our second day we had booked a snorkeling trip, and since we were a bit remote, the 3 of us were picked up by a small motor boat and taken to the large boat with everyone else. Wielding our cameras, passports… we were shocked as choppy waters began splashing into the boat…by the time we reached the large boat we were completely drenched and had had a few rather harrowing moments, not to mention that our camera’s were barely dry. We dried off in the sun until we reached the snorkeling/diving destination which was really beautiful. Brightly coloured fish, interesting coral…it was really beautiful. After lunch we did a second excursion to national park waters where we could swim around a small island and see a wide range of underwater scenery. This was to be my highlight of the whole trip.

Planning our trip back to Bangkok in time for New Years eve, I discovered that we were a day ahead of ourselves when I went to book the bus ticket. We debated but decided to go ahead and head back to Bangkok and spend our “bonus” day there. It was lucky we did because after that everything was closed for the holiday so we wouldn’t have been able to see any of the attractions otherwise.

Rather than the government Mercedes bus we took to Koh Chang, our return boat was a tourist wonder….double decker bus, wild painting on the outside, hot pink interior, with films such as Mission Impossible and Snakes on the Plane for our viewing pleasure. The swaying bus made me a bit sick, but the laughs at such a gaudy display was worth it.

Birthday

I really wanted to skip this one, since as some as you know, it's a rather large number we're reaching this year. So my plan was to just let it skip by unnoticed and pretend it didn't happen. But MCC staff weren't about to let that happen! Rebecca talked me into coming to Dhaka for the weekend and have lunch with them after church. Shortly after we arrived the rest of the expat staff showed up to suprise me with a birthday lunch of really wonderful Indian food. After a great meal and me alienating a few people with predictions of where they'd be when they were 40, we headed to our country reps for coffee. I was completely shocked to walk in and see work colleagues and friends wielding signs and blowing noisemakers. Cicely and Reba had gone to great lengths to call all the people on my phone and invite all the people who have become special to me in my time here. It was such a surprise and really special...even though they also let everyone know exactly what milestone I was reaching so no longer can I convince anyone that i'm really 29!

Chang Mi, Thailand

As MCC Bangladesh volunteers, we are accustomed to long hours on rickety busses swerving to avoid various bikes, rickshaws, and animals. Therefore, a two hour flight to Bangkok was just too easy. We headed straight for the train station and after eating my favourite Thai meal (green curry with tofu and vegetables) we embarked on an overnight train ride. We were able to get sleeper seats, after a small diversion following the advice of an o so helpful Thai man informing us that seats were sold out for weeks, even months, but luckily we could get bus tickets just behind the station. Luckily, as we pondered the purchase at the bus station, we realized Lonely Planet discussed just such a scam. We went back to the train station just to check, and lo and behold, plenty of train tickets readily available! I’m used to scam artists in Africa, but they are typically easier to spot.

We were a bit late but finally pulled into Chang Mai around noon the next day. We took a while to figure out what we were doing, it’s difficult when you can’t trust any of the advice you’re given, but things looked much better after lunch and finding a room. For lunch I enjoyed long standing Thai favourites….falafal pita and cappuccino…ok, maybe more popular in other parts of the globe, but completely unheard of in Bangladesh so a real treat. In fact, our culinary journey through Chang Mai would maybe not appeal to those of you NOT living in a developing country, but for us it was truly exciting… “O look, they have wheat bread.” “Do you mind if I get a Starbucks mint mocha” (that wasn’t me…I found plenty of fabulous coffee alternatives- Thai coffee is really good and Italian coffee was also available). Being used to all the fabulous vegetables in Thai food, I was a bit surprised to see their huge affinity for pork. Street vendors everywhere are selling sausages of different types and sizes. I bought some pastries with an overwhelming (and disgusting) taste of lard.

OK, but we’ll never get through the journey at this rate, so let me go to lists

Night 1 – walked through one temple en route to night market where we lost each other and seemed to find completely different areas. I found an overwhelming amount of craft booths, and had a 30 minute head and shoulders massage which was nice but definitely different from massages as we know them

Day 2 – journey in the back of a pick up to a large temple where Thai people go to pay homage. Was a bit shocked at how many food vendors, trinket salesmen, and massage. I did actually take advantage of the massage because by the time we got up there, I had such a head ache and was so car sick I needed a time out. Temple visit was followed by stops at kings gardens and cultural village. See photos.

We did another night at the night market, this time managing to stick together.

Day 3 – Christmas day. I’d been having such a headache, I hadn’t booked any of the excursions. I woke up raring to go, however, and managed to get added to a trip to Doi Inothon, the highest point in Thailand. We stopped at 2 waterfalls which were really pretty, a village where we could see the women weaving traditional cloth, and then on to the peak. The brochure had sided like it was a bit of a trek to the peak. I think the description of this will maybe help you have a glimpse of the real Thailand, and I was less than enamoured. You first view the surroundings from the parking lot…very pretty. You walk a quite short paved path to the giant sign marking the highest point, you walk a few feet further (it actually seemed we went up more) to a Buddhist altar, and a short distance again to a snack shop and trinket shop. When we’ve hiked out to Cape Lookout in Oregon we have joked that it would be nice to have a vending machine out there, but seriously, in Thailand, they would.

That evening we had a nice Italian dinner followed by a stop at the coffee shop and joining all the other foreigners making skype or MSN calls at the internet café. I even found a mince pie to complete the holiday…the place selling them was more like an Irish pub so I was mocked mercilessly for charging into a bar and ordering a mince pie, but well worth it!

Day 4- our final day in Chang Mi so we visited the arts and cultural heritage museum which was interesting and very well done. After a snack, we headed for the train for another overnight journey back to Bangkok.

Happy New Years!

Ha, Ha, I got into 2007 first! And what a new years! Instead of being the happening Bangkok we were hoping for, bomb blasts led to all events being pretty much cancelled. We did go to a night club to bring in the new year with bumpin tunes, balloons and lights, but things were much more low key than typical. People are clearing out in droves, and we're going to explore the emptying streets of Bangkok today. Happy New Years to everyone and I hope you have happy and less eventful celebrations than we had here!

Christmas in Thailand

I spent a great Christmas Day getting to the highest point in Thailand followed by an Italian dinner and desert. Not your traditional holiday, but fun nonetheless. Merry Christmas, everyone!

MCC Bangladesh staff

Here's the MCC Bangladesh staff celebrating Thanksgiving on November 10th to make sure we could all make it unhindered by blockades. It was delicious especially green salad, focacia bread and pies...unique treats! I made special (well, as special as can be in a country without easily accessed alcohol) punch with real cranberry juice which is what I managed to splash all over my top if you notice!

shesh korechi!

Today I finished my 3 months of language training! yippee! It feels really good! I'm a bit nervous to go to a more rural place and really have to use Bangla all the time, but I can at least manage the basics, and with time should be able to understand more. I have a number of HIV materials to learn some more technical language, a bible to learn more spiritual language, and Sisimpur, the Bengali version of Sesame Street to learn all those essentials I learned as a kid ("who are the people in your neighborhood..."!) But here's my favourite little paragraph to say when I'm feeling a need to let off steam....bear in mind, although it may sound like words that would result in a good mouth with soap washing out in America, it is completely benign here!

Rastar Facka, khub shit, onek karap. (roads are empty, very cold, really bad)

I am supposed to move to my site on Tuesday but the roads may be closed again so who knows when I'll actually leave. However, I have lots to do here meeting with HIV organizations, gathering materials, and orienting myself to work being done in Bangladesh.

I think this is maybe describes how people here are feeling about the current political situation here. Subject: FW: Mrs. Khaleda Zia, President Iaz Uddin and Mrs. Sheik Hasina


Mrs. Khaleda Zia, President Iaz Uddin and Mrs. Sheik Hasina are flying on
an airplane to find a solution of the existing political crisis. Why in an
airplane?

They wanted to avoid the over enthusiastic media including Munni Shaha and
Talat Mahmud.

Mrs. Khaleda Zia looks at Sheik Hasina and says, "You know, I could throw
a 500 taka note out the window right now and make one person very happy."

Mrs Sheik Hasina shrugs her shoulders and says, "Well, I could throw ten
100 taka notes out the window and make 10 people very happy." President
Iaz Uddin says, "Of course then, I could throw five-hundred 1 taka notes
out the window and make five-hundred people very happy."

At this point, the pilot of the aircraft looks at all of them and says, "I
could throw all of you out the window and make the whole country happy."

Update

Just be aware...I did not take the photos in the preceding entry, nor was I present, nor did I see anything untoward. Yesterday I had a meeting across town, in the rich part of town where all the foreigners live. I took a rickshaw, giving a couple cyclists a bit of a workout, but they seemed happy for a big fare. I did mess up coming back and ended up walking right through a demonstration, but it was peaceful and there were no problems. Overall though, it was easier to travel since for the most part, vehicles have been taken off the road. Ambulances are used to transport people when necessary ie: to pick people up from the airport.

Yes, I said next time. The blockade has been lifted as of this morning and will remain so until Monday. The 14 party coalition is still demanding that the election commission be revamped. They are giving the interim government until Sunday to make do so at which point it will be resumed. At least it will give an opportunity for some things to move through the ports and for supplies to get through to Dhaka. I know fresh foods were becoming a bit scarce.

Local Newspaper views of current situation

Mayhem at peaceful Karwan Bazar
Police truck runs over 14-party men, killing 1 on second day of blockade; rail line uprooted in Mymensingh, train derails injuring 50; sporadic clashes elsewhere
Star Report

An Awami League (AL) activist was killed and 50 others were injured, including one critically, when a police van drove through a group of 14-party coalition activists at Karwan Bazar in the capital on the second day of the countrywide programme of an indefinite blockade by the coalition yesterday.

The activists reigned over the streets across the country to enforce the blockade yesterday to press home their 11-point charter of demands.


The killing, reminiscent of a similar killing of two Dhaka University students at Fulbaria in February 1983, happened a few minutes after police had doused the demonstrators mercilessly with hot water using a water cannon, and beat them up while they were holding a rally peacefully blocking the street at Saarc Fountain intersection.


Police fired teargas shells and also allegedly fired live ammunition as the demonstrators clashed with the law enforcers there, turning the important business hub of the city into a battlefield.


In another clash between demonstrators and police at Tarabo in Narayanganj, police fired teargas shells to disperse a mob, which vandalised vehicles on Kanchpur-Narsingdi road, leaving 20 people injured.


AL-led 14-party activists disrupted road and rail communications by stopping buses and trains and by uprooting railway sleepers at different train stations across the country. At least 50 people were injured when a passenger train was derailed due to uprooting of 126 feet of railway tracks in Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh.


No other major incident of violence occurred in the rest of the capital, and similar reports came from elsewhere in the country while normal life and business activities remained disrupted.


Activities at all courts across the country including the Supreme Court also remained suspended for the second consecutive day yesterday.


Business at Chittagong and Mongla ports and all land ports also remained virtually suspended for the second consecutive day.


Delivery of goods, and container handling inside Chittagong port remained suspended causing 54 vessels, including 23 carrying containers, to sit idle at different jetties and at the outer anchorage of the port.


THE CAPITAL
Residents of the capital woke up to find the entire city blockaded and its streets free of everyday traffic jam yesterday as 14-party activists took to the streets to enforce the blockade.


Blocking the city streets at different points, the activists were singing patriotic songs at intervals of speeches by their leaders to keep the tempo up standing on makeshift podiums.


As the blockade was going ahead peacefully in the capital, unlike other traditional violent political demonstrations, suddenly Karwan Bazar erupted into violence around 11:30am.


Led by AL leader HBM Iqbal, 14-party activists were holding a rally at Saarc Fountain intersection blocking the busy street. The leaders were delivering speeches from a truck used as a makeshift stage.


All of a sudden, a police truck fitted with a water cannon started jetting hot water from the direction of Panthapath on the activists who were singing songs at intervals of the speeches without provoking any violence.


Members of police and Armed Police Battalion started to club the demonstrators mercilessly prompting the demonstrators to retaliate with brickbats.


Dispersed, the demonstrators attacked the law enforcers while police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to scare the demonstrators away.


As the whole area turned into a battlefield, a police truck from the direction of Farmgate drove through the activists at Saarc Fountain and sped away towards Bangla Motor critically injuring two blockade supporters, one of whom was identified as Waziullah, 40, AL publicity secretary of unit 2 of the party under ward no 37.


Enraged by the incident, the demonstrators set fire to a police van in front of TK Bhaban there.


As the situation gradually calmed down, police took the injured two to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared Waziullah dead.


AL leader HBM Iqbal was taken to Samorita Hospital with injuries.


Leaders of 14-party coalition alleged that police deliberately drove the van through the crowd to create a situation for army deployment.


"It was a totally peaceful rally until police doused us with water, clubbed us and fired teargas canisters at us," said Delwar Hossain, a folk singer who was singing songs on the podium. Several others echoed Delwar.


Talking to The Daily Star yesterday evening, Deputy Commissioner (Tejgaon) Kohinoor Mian admitted to ordering the police to turn water cannon on the demonstrators. "I gave the order to disperse the demonstrators for clearing the busy street after the demonstrators had refused to free the street despite repeated requests," he said.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) authorities formed a three-member committee headed by Deputy Commissioner (Motor and Transport) Faruq Ahmed to investigate yesterday's violence at Karwan Bazar and the incident of driving a police van through the crowd.


"Punitive measures will be taken against those responsible for the incident as per the recommendations of the inquiry committee," said a news release issued from the public relations section of the Detective Branch of police.


The release claimed that the two demonstrators were injured when a police truck unintentionally hit them while it was being driven to a safer place towards Bangla Motor from Farmgate area after being attacked during chase and counter chase between police and 'illegal public'.

A case was lodged with Tejgaon police station in this connection, the release added.

In Mirpur, law enforcers and demonstrators locked in a clash at Mirpur-10 roundabout when police charged batons and chased some demonstrators who were vandalising an auto-rickshaw there at 11:00am. The demonstrators threw stones at the law enforcers.


Normalcy was restored in a few minutes after intervention by 14-party leaders and top police officials.


Demonstrators broke windshields of some auto-rickshaws also on Dhaka-Chittagong highway.


In Savar, hundreds of activists gathered at different points. They vandalised 15 vehicles at Savar Bazar bus stop.


COUNTRY
In Narayanganj, at least 20 people were injured when 14-party activists clashed with police on Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Tarabo point under Rupganj upazila around 11:00am.


As police obstructed an AL procession at Tarabo, the pickets threw brickbats, breaking the windshield of the vehicle of Police Superintendent Shahabuddin Khan.


Police clubbed the pickets, lobbed 20 teargas canisters and sprayed 70 rubber bullets, leaving 20 people injured.


In Mymensingh, at least 50 passengers were injured when three compartments along with the engine of Seven-up, a Bahadurabad Ghat bound passenger train from Dhaka, derailed and fell into a roadside ditch at Golabari village between Mashakhali and Kawridh railway stations at 2:15am yesterday.


The train derailed as 126 feet of railway tracks had been uprooted at Golabari, railway sources said.


Fifteen of the injured were rushed to Gafargaon Upazila Health Complex for treatment.


Rescue trains from Dhaka and Mymensingh reached the spot at 8:00am and reinstalled the damaged railway tracks and train compartments at 1:30pm.


In Netrakona, 11 people were injured in two incidents. At Gotora on NetrokonaKalmakanda road, pickets threw stones leaving five injured while six people were wounded as a passenger bus was torched at Razur Bazar.


In Brahmanbaria, pickets threw stones at the Bhoirab bound Balla local train at Poyertala outer signal of Brahmanbaria Railway Station. At about 10:00am, they stopped Dhaka bound Mahanagar Express. Later, all the services were cancelled.


Meanwhile, Akhaura land port remained paralysed.


In Rajshahi, demonstrators stopped Titumir and Modhumoti intercity trains at Arani of Bagha upazila. Goods-laden trucks remained stranded at Sona Mosque land port.


In Sylhet, activists forced Dhaka bound Joyontika Express train to a halt at Longla Station of Kulaura upazila. They vandalised the train until police brought the situation under control.


In Khagrachhari, pickets vandalised a vehicle of a pharmaceutical company at Alutila and beat up the staff. They also vandalised a truck at Bhaibonchhara and later set fire to an effigy of the chief election commissioner.


The blockade programme was observed peacefully in other parts of the country, report our correspondents.


Two bodies lie motionless at the Sonargaon intersection in the capital after a police truck ploughed through 14-party activists yesterday. Awami League activist Waziullah, lying furthest away in the photo, later succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. PHOTO: STAR

And more mayhem

Don't worry mom....it's not my photo! I've only observed peaceful demonstrations...from a safe distance!

Last time Dhaka was under siege I was stranded about 6 hours from home. This time I'm at least home. Since Sunday movement in Bangladesh has come to almost a complete stop, most of the business are closed, imports and exports have come to a standstill.

Bangladesh has a caretaker government for the 3 months preceding the election. This government is supposed to be neutral as is the election commisions. A large party alliance is protesting the current election commissioner and demanding that he step down. He is not doing so. As a result, Dhaka has completely been barricaded, the ports have been stopped, transport has been almost stopped with only the rickshaws allowed to pass through unhindered. Vehicles risk being stoned or set on fire. Our office has remained open, and I walk to the office every day anyway, so it hasn't been too much of a hindrance although I've had to cancel some meetings which is disppointing. I live quite near the opposition leader, so am near the hub of some of the activity, although I haven't observed anything that was not peaceful.

Here's the BBC explanation:

Election protests grip Bangladesh
Thousands of opposition activists are protesting in Bangladesh on the second day of a nationwide blockade to demand electoral reform.
Transport in and around Dhaka has been severely disrupted. One person died when a police van ran into protesters.

The opposition Awami League and its allies called the protest in an attempt to force the administration to sack election officials they accuse of bias.

An interim government is in power ahead of general elections due in January.

On Sunday, all major towns and cities were affected by the blockade, as well as the country's main sea port, Chittagong.

Protesters blocked railway lines and set fire to a train and a bus on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Elsewhere in the city, vehicles which tried to defy the blockade were reportedly set on fire or stoned.

Apart from protesters gathering for rallies, the streets were largely deserted, with many businesses and shops closed, witnesses said.

Disaster warning

Dhaka's police force said on Saturday it had banned "processions, rallies, demonstrations, sieges, sit-ins and blockades", as well as the carrying of potential weapons, the Associated Press news agency reports.


The country's interim government has issued a statement warning of serious consequences if the transport blockade continued.
The action was "anti-constitutional and illegal" and in cutting off the supply of food and medical supplies risked creating a humanitarian disaster, it said.

Business leaders have also urged an end to the blockade, warning it could cost the country millions of dollars a day in lost export earnings.

The 14-party alliance led by the Awami League ordered the protests after Bangladesh's chief electoral commissioner and three deputies refused to resign.

The alliance accuses the officials of planning to rig January's elections in favour of the outgoing government of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The commissioners deny the allegations.

More than 20 people were killed in clashes between rival political camps when Ms Zia's term expired in October.

The country's figurehead president, Iajuddin Ahmed, assumed control of the government after the political parties failed to agree on who should lead the caretaker administration to oversee the vote.

Mayhem

Political mayhem broke out on Saturday all over Bangladesh. I had gone to my
bosses wedding in Chapai Nabagang which is 6 hours from Dhaka and 30 km
from the Indian border. I arrived on Thursday. The wedding was Friday, and I was staying for the event hosted by his family on Saturday and had booked a night bus
for Saturday night. My 4 colleagues (which includes a 1 year old
little girl) were planning on leaving early Saturday morning to get to
a big harvest festival event in their village. Instead there was
rioting all over the country as people protested the caretaker
government that was coming into power while both parties prepare for
elections to be held in January. We rented a van and tried to leave together,
but turned back when we encountered large crowds swinging sticks. Dhaka city was
completely barracaded and all busses and transport (aside from
rickshaws) were shut down. Many people had travelled to their home
villages for the Eid holidays and were stranded. People couldn't get
to work. I think around 24 people died throughout the country and many more were injured. We all expected something like this to happen following EID,
but not until after the work week started on Sunday. Luckily, my bosses parents
were very gracious and we were able to stay there in a nice quiet town
until the opposition party called the protests off and busses resumed service. They are giving the caretaker government until the 3rd to show that they can be
nonpartisan and fair. Since I already had a bus ticket I was able to
get on a bus at 10:30 last night and arrived home at 5 a.m. Things may
erupt again, but at least now I'm safely home and can carry on with my
classes and other programs, have clean clothes, and computer access!
My boss unfortunately didn't manage to get tickets for his planned honeymoon! I'll put pictures and such from the wedding on the blog later this week. Meanwhile, here's a couple shots of our entertainment (or more accurately, us providing the entertainment) while in confinement!

More photos

Career Change

As I've probably mentioned before, the family I stay with has a business with garments and cloth made with natural dyes. They asked me to model some of their things for local ads....so I cam to Bangladesh to do HIV work, but maybe I'll be a fashion model instead. OK, looking at these photos, maybe NOT, but here's some scenes near my home. They are the ones who comb my hair a bit weird in some of the photos...the messy short look doesn't translate.