The Measure of BangladeshRichard Hryniw — Lakeside, ON The quality of a country can be measured by a wide variety of instruments. There are the usual items such as population and land mass. Bangladesh is abundant in one and not the other. In the greater Dhaka area alone there are over six million people crowded into a small land area crisscrossed by waterways and lakes. We newcomers are amazed to realize that this is not a hindrance but an asset. Besides the usual activities such as delivering and exporting goods, the entrepreneurial Bengalis have developed an effective "water taxi" system with both motor- and man-powered craft to move thousands of people around every day.
A country can also be measured by its environment and architecture. Bangladesh could be called a green mosaic, with a variety of rice fields and other crops occupying every available inch of soil. The ever-present water adds its own charm, not only in beautifully flowing streams with reflections of the passing scenery, but also with its wide variety of plants. It literally takes one's breath away to see bright magenta waterlilies in the early morning sun stretching as far as the eye can see. With such a dense population there are many small and tossed-together dwellings, but you can also view some magnificent structures from a past history of over a thousand years and from the present — particularly their contemporary Parliament Buildings.
For me, however, the greatest measure of a country is its people. I do not know the Bengali words for warm and welcoming and it matters little, for the actions of the people of Bangladesh exude those qualities. They surely invented the concept of hospitality, not merely to be polite, but because they genuinely want to welcome you into their home and into their life. It was in this setting that we worked with our partners, the Lions Club Supreme View in Dhaka. As usual, our daily distributions were well-organized and supported through their efforts and hard work. Despite long days, our needs were always attended to with a desire to make us welcome. If a countries' wealth were measured not by GNP but by the friendliness and warmth of its people, Bangladesh would surely be one of the richest countries in the world. |
