Bangladesh
Living on the Edge
Filmed November 2003
 

Bangladesh is a country of riches and of poverty; a country where 85% are Muslim and 14 % are Hindu with Islam  the official state religion.

A country with friendly people who must struggle to survive and, a country that has nearly exhausted its room to grow.  A country with an literacy rate of nearly 50% and a country riddled with corruption.

Bangladesh is a country living on the edge.

A country in desperate need of the saving Grace of Jesus Christ.

Sights and Sounds of Bangladesh 3:23 Bangladesh, with 130 million people, is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. On the average, there are nearly 2200 people per square mile. The city streets are always crowded. The river ways are a constant motion of people and produce. The markets are full of buyers and sellers. Farmers produce two or three crops each year. Schools are overflowing. And, the population of the country continues to increase.

Dhaka 4:52 Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has 10 million people; thousands of busses of all shapes, sizes, and ages; tens of thousands of baby taxis; 600,000 rickshaws; and, a few cows.

Khulna 5:30 Khulna is an easy place to visit; a place where you can quickly become immersed in the culture of the country. It is a city that is overflowing with friendly people who would like for you to come. Won’t you go and share your life with them?

 Jessore 5:05 The city’s court building, which dates from the British Raj, is still in use today and is the most impressive building in town. Buildings, however, are not the attraction in Jessore. It is the people, their method of transportation, their food, their work, and their lifestyle that makes Jessore a must see place when visiting Bangladesh.

Chittagong 6:52 Chittagong is a large, diverse, and progressive city. It is also the gateway to the district known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts. A visit to Chittagong, as well as to the Hill Tracts, is a visit to a culture that cannot be experienced in Western societies.

Chittagong to Bandarban 5:56 In Bandarban, like the rest of Bangladesh, the winds of uncertainty are all around. Will this future generation follow their forefathers and just survive or will they soar to new heights seldom known by a people that have endured much hardship and oppression?

The Bricks of Bangladesh 3:50 In Bangladesh, work is hard, the hours are long, and the pay is low. Yet, it is through small enterprises such as making bricks that the country is able to support its 130 million people. Come and visit Bangladesh! You can see for yourself what hard workers we have in our country. They are the bricks that the country is built on. They are the bricks of Bangladesh.

Men Wear Skirts – Women Wear Pants 2:38 The clothes worn by many of the Bangladesh people seem strange to the Western visitor. The skirt-like garment called a lungee is worn by many of the men while many women wear a pants-like garment called a Shaliwa Khameese. This type of attire is common in many countries in South Asia, the Mideast and in West Africa.

 Rice: The Food for All 5:16 The primary food for family and for guests is rice. Rice cooked with meat, a vegetable, or alone is eaten at every meal if the family can afford it. Rice as a peace offering is set before Hindu gods and goddesses. Rice is Bangladesh’s main crop.

The One Burner Stove 6:10 The routine of preparing meals is a demanding and time-consuming task. The entire meal is cooked on the one burner stove. The most common stove is molded by hand out of clay. Each item is cooked in sequence with rice the last to be put on the stove. Women work hard at preparing meals and do their kitchen work in a squatting position.

The Hand Loom 2:48 Weaving on a handloom is an important source of income for some of the rural villages in Bangladesh. The equipment is primitive and slow; yet, the women are very productive. Weaving demands practice, patience, and skill as well as outstanding eye, hand and foot coordination. The process of spinning, dying, and weaving for lungees, saris, and towels are all done in the same village.