Bangladesh - Reading the world's press you could be forgiven for thinking that Bangladesh is a disaster zone rather than a travel destination. But hiding behind these image of cyclones and floods is a strikingly lush and beautiful land with a rich history and a variety of attractions unusual for a country this size. For a start, Bangladesh is one of the few places in the world that you can explore by river boat, but on top of this you can visit archaelogical sites dating back over 2000 years; check out the longest beach and the largest littoral mangrove forest in the world; and see ornate Hindu temples, beautiful mosques and the decaying `Gone With The Wind' mansions of 19th-century maharajas.
Despite being the world's most crowded country, rural Bangladesh feels relaxed, spacious and friendly: travellers from India have been agreeably surprised to find border officials offering them cups of tea rather than reams of forms to fill in. Facilities are limited but if you have an independent streak it's definitely worth avoiding the crowds heading to India and Nepal and following the old slogan of Bangladesh's tourist body: "Come to Bangladesh before the tourists".
Environment - Bangladesh is nestled in the crook of the Bay of Bengal, surrounded by India. It shares a border in the south-east with Myanmar and fronts onto the Bay of Bengal. The country is flat, flat, flat, and dominated by the braided strands of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Jamuna delta. Where Bangladesh ends and the sea begins is a murky zone of shifting sediments, watercourses, flood waters and silt. Over 90% of the country is composed of alluvial plains less than 10 metres above sea level, making it an inviting proposition to flood-prone rivers and tidal waves. The only relief from these low-lying plains occurs in the north-east and south-east corners where modest hills rise to an average height of around 240 and 600 metres respectively.
Culture - The Bengal region has a multifaceted folk heritage, enriched by its ancient animist, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim roots. Weaving, pottery and terracotta sculpture are some of the earliest forms of artistic expression. The best known literature of Bangladesh is the work of the great Bengali poets Rabindranath Tagore and Nasrul Islam, though these giants have been overshadowed recently by the furore over the writings of Taslima Nasreen who has received death threats from Muslim fundamentalists for her outspoken critiques of Islam's oppression of women. Folk theatre is common at the village level and usually takes place during harvest time or at melas (village fairs). There are many folk dances, but classical dance is largely borrowed from Indian models and is frowned upon by the more severe religious leaders.
Bangladesh's Muslims and Hindus live in relative harmony. The Muslim majority has religious leaders, pirs, whose status straddles the gap between that of a bishop and that of a sage. Hinduism in Bangladesh lacks the pomp and awe of the Indian version, but consequently Hindu ceremonies are rarely conducted in the depths of temples to which access is restricted. People here are very willing for you to watch and even participate. Buddhists today form only a tiny minority of the population. It's worth noting that the Bangladeshi pride in ancestry is balanced by the Islamic slant of the country's intellectual life which tends to deny the achievements of the preceding Hindu and Buddhist cultures.
Events - Muslim festivals follow a lunar calendar. At the beginning of the year, Ramadan is a month-long period of fasting in February/March. At the full moon 14 days before the start of Ramadan, Shab-e-Barat is a sacred night when alms and sweets are distributed to the poor. Hindu festivals follow a different calendar but they generally fall at much the same date each year. The Holi Festival or Festival of Colours, commonly known as the spring festival, is celebrated in the first week of March. Durga Puja is celebrated during October, and statues of the goddess astride a lion, with her ten hands holding ten different weapons, are placed in every Hindu temple.
Attractions:
Chittagong - The second largest city in Bangladesh sits on the bank of the Karnapuli River and has an interesting old waterfront area known as Sadarghat which reflects the importance of river trade to the city's growth. Nearby is the old Portuguese enclave of Paterghatta which remains mostly Christian. The Shahi Jama-e-Masjid and Qadam Mubarak Mosque are two of the most impressive buildings in the city. It's also worth visiting the Ethnological Museum in the Modern City which has interesting displays on Bangladesh's tribal peoples. There are good views and cooling breezes from Fairy Hill in the British City in the north-western sector of the city.
Cox's Bazar - Bangladesh's only beach resort is near the Myanmar border in an area where Rohingya refugees have settled to escape persecution in Myanmar. It has a Burmese Buddhist flavour and few amenities to service the visitors attracted by its enormous expanse of shark-free beach. Even modestly clad bathers, especially females, should expect to be gawked at by locals and Bangladeshi holidaymakers. Bangladeshi women who swim (they are a rare breed) do so in a flowing shalwar kameez. South of Cox's Bazar are more secluded beaches where having a swim can still be a private experience rather than a public spectacle. They include Himacheri Beach and Inani Beach. Note that the beaches are not considered entirely safe at night.
Mainimati Ruins - Famous as an important centre of Buddhist culture from the 7th to 12th centuries, the buildings excavated here were made wholly of baked bricks. There are more than 50 scattered Buddhist sites, but the three most important are Salban Vihara, Kotila Mura and Charpatra Mura. Salban Vihara was a well-planned, 170-sq-metre monastery facing a temple in the centre of the courtyard. Nearby is a museum housing the finds excavated here, which include terracotta plaques, bronze statues, a bronze casket, coins, jewellery and votive stupas embossed with Buddhist inscriptions. Kotila Mura comprises three large stupas representing Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, the `Three Jewels of Buddhism'. The most important discovery at Charpatra Mura were the four royal copper-plate decrees, three belonging to Chandra rulers, the other to Sri Viradhara Deva, a later Hindu king. Note that some of the major ruins are within a military cantonment and cannot be visited without permission from military officers.
Somapuri Vihara - The 8th-century Somapuri Vihara at Paharpur was formerly the biggest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalaya. It's by far the most impressive archaeological site in Bangladesh, and covers some 11 hectares. Although in an advanced state of decay, the overall plan of the temple complex is easy to figure out and includes a large quadrangle with the monks' cells forming the walls and enclosing a courtyard. From the centre of the courtyard rises the 20 metre high remains of a stupa which dominates the surrounding countryside. The monastery's recessed walls are embellished with well-preserved terracotta bas-reliefs and a small museum houses a representative display of the domestic and religious objects found during excavations.
Sundarbans National Park - The Sundarbans are the largest littoral mangrove belt in the world, stretching 80 km into the Bangladeshi hinterland from the coast. The forests aren't just mangrove swamps though, they include some of the last remaining stands of the mighty jungles which once covered the Gangetic plain. The Sundarbans cover an area of 38,500 sq km, of which about one-third is covered in water. Since 1966 the Sundarbans have been a wildlife sanctuary, and it is estimated that there are now 400 Royal Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area. The park is also home to sea gypsy fishing families who catch fish using trained otters. To see this pristine environment, you need to get a permit from the Divisional Forest Office in Khulna. With permit in hand, it's possible to hire a boat from Mongla or Dhangmari to get you to Hiron Point. From Hiron Point you will have to hire a guide to take you into the park.
Getting There & Away - Although Dhaka International Airport is far from being a major Asian crossroads, there are plenty of international flights. Indeed, many travellers use Dhaka as the gateway to the Indian subcontinent to take advantage of cheap fares from Europe. Bangkok and Calcutta are the main destinations for flights in and out of Bangladesh. The airport departure tax for international flights is US$7.50.
The situation with overland crossings to/from India is vague. The main crossings are at Benopol-Haridispur (on the Calcutta route); Chilihari-Haldibari (on the Darjeeling route); and Tamabil-Dawki (on the Shillong route). If officials tell you that you cannot cross elsewhere, be sceptical, insistent but polite, since travellers have been crossing in small numbers at Hili-Balurghat, Godagari-Lalgola and several other border crossings.
Overland routes between the subcontinent and Myanmar have been closed since the early 1950s. Even if the border was to be opened in the future, it's likely that all the formerly navigable roads across the frontier have long since been devoured by the jungle.
Getting Around - Internal transport in Bangladesh is cheap. The rule is: if you want a seat get there early and learn to shove, kick and gouge like the rest of your travelling companions. Biman, the national carrier, has flights radiating from Dhaka to 10 Bangladeshi cities, including Chittagong and Cox's Bazar. Flights are cheap but are still more than three times first class train fares. There's a departure tax on domestic flights.
Bangladesh has a fairly extensive system of passable roads but they are chokka with buses. Bus drivers in Bangladesh are among the world's most reckless, as evidenced by the incredible number of bus accidents occurring every day. Trains are a lot easier on the nerves, knees and backside, and those plying the major routes are actually quite good, at least in first class. However, travelling by rail between Dhaka and points west is quite complicated for three reasons: unbridged rivers requiring crossing by ferry, circuitous routing, and differing gauges between the east and west sections of the country.
The distinguishing feature of internal travel in Bangladesh is the presence of a well-developed and well-used system of water transport, though travelling by boat is slow. A trip to Bangladesh which does not include taking a trip down a river is like going to the Alps and not skiing or hiking. The famous "Rocket" paddlewheel steamer runs from Dhaka to Khulna four times a week, but there are plenty of other fascinating ferries to catch.
Self-drive cars are not available in Bangladesh. It is, however, inexpensive to hire chauffeur-driven cars in major cities. In cities you'll find rickshaws and autorickshaws which are inexpensive once the compulsory bargaining process is completed.