Baksheesh – the tip

In the Muslim world, spending money is an integral part of everyday life and a matter of course. Bangladesh is not a social state, so there are also no social benefits through it. But especially in professional groups such as in the simple guest industry, hardly any of his income will be able to live or support his family. So tip secures the income and livelihoods. This is so accepted by all social classes and practiced and has nothing to do with you as a foreigner. Practically one expects you of course already a reasonable tip.

Tipping - part of daily life

Tip, or baksheesh is not a big thing. Just as you plan for a daily budget, you should also do with the tip. You will be rewarded with a corresponding tip for a performance. The very fact that you are a foreigner does not make fixed prices for you more expensive. There are, of course, exceptions such as the entrance fees for museums etc. in which, however, is pointed out beforehand. The prices for tickets of all kinds, hotels, restaurants etc. are firm and apply to the same extent for you as for locals. The eager train attendant, who provides you with tea and snacks, or the bus attendant, who takes care of your luggage, at the end of a small tip awaits, should not really surprise.

For nothing, there is nothing!

A rickshaw driver will expect some tip. He does not earn much money, given the hardness of his work. Judging from his circumstances, you are rich. A hairdresser may be asking for the fifty taka for morning shaving. If he was good, you give him eighty or a hundred. Both of them will be happy as sandboys and it does not really make you any poorer. Caution with taxis, this is a very special family, better you use other means of transport. Their hunting grounds are of course the diplomatic, foreigner and business districts of Dhaka. In principle, it is advisable to negotiate the price beforehand in all private transports. This is particularly true for the capital and spares you from unpleasant surprises. On markets etc. you pay the same prices as everyone else. This is where your negotiation skills are in demand, because hassle is part of it!

All Bengali – the language

Bengali or Bangla is spoken by approximately 235 million people around the world, making it the ninth-most popular language in the world after English, Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian and Portuguese. In India, Bengali is one of the 22 officially recognized languages and is spoken mainly in East India. It is also spoken in parts of the United States, the UK, Nepal, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
Bengali is the official language in Bangladesh, the former East Paskistan. Their own language – which is different from the Urdu spoken in Pakistan – contributed to the formation of a national identity, and ultimately to the independence of Bangladesh.

In the country of the Bangla speakers

Bengali is the easternmost of all Indo-European languages. In the cities is also spoken English, partly excellent, but mostly sufficient. If there is nothing left, like in the country, you still have Hindi, or you speak with hands and feet, that is fun and breaks the ice. Even rickshaw drivers rarely have the intellectual background to deal with you profound philosophical considerations, in a language of your choice. Most of them are not even able to read or write. So it makes little sense to keep a guide book under the nose of the willing but unsuspecting rickshaw driver, unless there is a picture of your goal. In terms of experience, however, many passersby will take care of you and instruct the rickshaw driver - which of course does not necessarily mean that you arrive, where you actually wanted to go.

Safe Bangladesh?

Bangladesh is a very safe travel country, everything else is simply nonsense. In a country where around 175 million very emotional people are at home, not every day is “love, peace and harmony” is clear. From rallies/demonstrations of all kinds you keep better away, there could be fireworks. There is, of course, a vicious crime. But this one plays among the natives. The state power, in the form of the police, will always be there for you and enjoys the highest respect in the whole society.

In the city and countryside

Cities, and railway stations are attracted to the shady characters, which is not an exclusivity of Bangladesh. Generally speaking, civilian police are still on the road in places of large crowds, but “opportunity makes a thief”. This is the case all over the world and it is up to you to take appropriate caution. Off the beaten track, Bangladesh is certainly one of the safest travel countries in the world. In the country, no one will even ever come up with the idea of cheating you, robbing you, or doing other things with you. The biggest danger of Bangladesh is the chaotic road traffic!

The traffic situation

Chaos also seems to follow its own rules. There is no traffic, as we understand it. In the cities, traffic policymakers are trying to master the situation, on the highways and roads there is only one law, the law of the strongest. Fortunately, all the traffic people know about this law, which makes the situation a bit more relative and you can see relatively few accidents or vehicle wrecks on the roadside – on the road, by bus on our YouTube channel. As pedestrians, you can’t be careful enough, no matter where!

Threat of terrorism

Terror wants to trigger fear. London, Brussels, Paris, Berlin, Nice, Manchester and one could enumerate further, also Dhaka was already a goal of an attack. We do not want to gloss over, but also do not dramatize anything. The ordinary Deshi is completely alien to any form of religious extremism. Traditionally, a very modern Islam is lived and we do not know a single one who wants to change that. Fanatics, who exist everywhere, represent a tiny minority. Insignificant in their number and their views. Through the medial attention which is given to them, they achieve their own goal: to trigger fear. “Kiss the Fascists, where you meet them!” Kurt Tucholsky, journalist and writer.

Strike, Hartal

A strike of private bus, rickshaw, auto rickshaw or ship operators is usually local limited, but can defeat your itinerary. A Hartal is of a political nature and rather rare. This is called out by the opposition party to lame the infrastructure and put the political opponent under pressure. A Hartal is called at very short notice and concerns cities, administrative units or the whole country, for periods of one to several days. This can, of course, have an impact on the traffic situation, in the worst case you can’t travel further, because the bus operators put off their business. Timetables become pure waste, only the flights of the (inter-) national airlines are unaffected. Increased police and army presence in cities, metropolitan centers and main traffic arteries is to ensure security. With accompaniment, some time and, above all, flexibility, there should always be a way out. Nevertheless, restrictions must be expected. Friday and Saturday are Hartal-free.

Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT)

The situation between the tribes living there and the government is something more, sometimes a bit less tense. This is due to the autonomous efforts of the ethnic groups living there. This is for information purposes only, in the last fifteen years there was no serious incident involving foreigners. A number of conditions apply to foreigners: Your travel must be requested and approved at least one month beforehand at the Ministry of Homeland Security in Dhaka. At least one week before, this must be registered by a letter to the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police of the respective district. Copies of the permit, the passport and visa, and a listing of travel purpose, accommodation and travel route. When entering or leaving the CHT and their administrative units, you pass checkpoints, which also require a copy. In general, after dark, you are not allowed to travel outside the localities and you are not allowed to spend the night with the tribes. The tribes themselves are hospitable and travelers are greeted with a smile.

Drug possession, smuggling

For all those who want to make problems themselves, this is mentioned: The minimum penalty for drug possession is two years. From twenty-five grams of heroin/cocaine or from two kilograms of marijuana possession, the death penalty can be imposed. Then there is the still applicable special powers act of 1974, according to which for the smuggling of all kinds, the death penalty can be imposed.

Hot Bangladesh - the food

Because of its own cooking tradition, the Bengali cuisine is famous for delicious food and delicate snacks. One can imagine them as close relatives of Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, better than the crossing of both. The result is a product of love - almost always spicy, with many unique character traits, a feast of (taste) senses. Eating-houses or simple restaurants can be found everywhere – in a eating-house on our YouTube channel. Good, cheap, authentic, but the kitchen of other people is nothing to you and you should take this. In the cities you can also find upscale restaurants of all price categories. Frequent food stalls you can use without hesitation, these offer you an illustrious collection of extremely delicate snacks, Bangladesh fast food.

The Bengali cuisine. Delicious and spicy.

What is eaten? The day is traditionally begun with Porata or Ruti - in some oil or dry baked flatbread and an omelet. At lunch, around 2 pm and dinner from 10 pm onwards there is rice. A meal without rice is simply not a full meal, for a Deshi. The rice is served with curry of fish, beef, mutton, chicken or vegetables, which is always spicy and strongly seasoned. Dal – a kind of lentil soup – and vegetables of the respective season belong to it. In the afternoon, for tea, a Mishti (sweet bangla) is served. These small balls, based on sugar and milk, are the ultimate embodiment of “sweet”. Bangladeshis love it. For Europeans it should already have triggered one or the other sugar shock. The country is blessed, depending on the season, with a large variety of vegetable varieties and (sub-) tropical fruits, which are prepared in different varieties. Mango, jackfruit, pineapple, banana, lychee, lemon, guava, pomegranate, papaya, tamarind, melon, various kinds of nuts and Indian olive are surely only a few.

Dinner is served!

You are invited to Homestay, or to ordinary people. Food is on the table, hands are washed. All eyes are directed at you, in anticipation of your judgment. But where is the cutlery? Well, here is traditionally eaten with the hand, with the right. The left hand is used for body hygiene in these latitudes, so you do not eat with it or give it to anyone (etiquette). This type of food consumption is at least an experience. You’re left-handed? No problem, according to reports this is just as accepted, because left-handers are also here. Apart from that you can of course ask for cutlery. Nearly every household, and still so simple, has at least a spoon.