By Qaiser Mohammad Ali,
Chittagong, May 16 (IANS) Bangladeshi kids, like their peers all around, know how to enjoy themselves, at times a bit too bizarrely, perhaps. On Wednesday one witnessed a unique sight of youngsters running on the roof of a speeding train!
These boys were between 8-10 years of age, and some of them were without their shirts. As a strong wind blew across, the daredevil kids enjoyed to the hilt.
As our Indian made three-wheeler waited at the Pahartali railway crossing on way to the Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium, venue of the India-Bangladesh test matches, the train sped away with these boys sitting, standing or running on its roof without the fear of falling.
“It’s a risky business, but it’s common here. They are used to such risks,” said a local.
ODI tickets good enough for Test match
The cricket lovers who booked tickets to watch the rain abandoned third and final One-day International can retain their tickets to watch the first day’s play of the first test between India and the Bangladesh here Friday.
“Ticket holders of the abandoned third ODI can enter the designated stands of the Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium on day one of the first Test with the same tickets,” the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said here.
The spectators were so disappointed Tuesday that they did not leave the stadium for more than an hour after the match was declared abandoned. Although the players never came on to the field, the spectators had to be content watching the prize distribution ceremony from a distance.
Meter or contract?
Taxi drivers of Bangladesh, like their many counterparts in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, try to charge according to their own wishes.
They avoid going by fare meters and instead prefer to go by “contract”. Contract, according to them, is the fare fixed in advance through negotiations.
Also, like in their neighbouring countries, the drivers of three-wheeler auto rickshaws and taxis often refuse to take passengers. They essentially have two reasons to refuse. Either they don’t want to go in the direction the passenger has to go or want the fare they deem fit.
Indian movies, songs popular
Indian movies, especially Bengali ones, and Hindi songs are very popular in this country. In luxury buses, hotels, barber shops and in taxis they play videos of Hindi and Bengali films and songs with pictures of Bollywood actors and actresses glued on walls.
Bengali films are obviously popular because the language of the masses here is Bangla, the language spoken in India’s West Bengal state. But the people like the Hindi movies as well.
Newspapers and magazines here publish news and photographs of the Bollywood actors in almost every issue. Some of the best-known Indian actors are even seen on billboards.