{"id":10,"date":"2023-04-02T07:30:55","date_gmt":"2023-04-02T07:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/?p=10"},"modified":"2023-08-31T15:05:55","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T15:05:55","slug":"10-things-i-wish-i-had-known-before-moving-to-bangladesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/02\/10-things-i-wish-i-had-known-before-moving-to-bangladesh\/","title":{"rendered":"10 things I wish I had known before moving to Bangladesh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I lived 3 years in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. I won\u2019t deny I did regret this life choice a few times while there [10 worst things about living in Bangladesh<\/a>\/<\/a>]. Still, I had the occasional suspicion I would miss the country, and a few years after moving out, I do have my fond memories of Bangladesh [10 things I liked best about Bangladesh<\/a>]. But love it or loathe it, before moving to Bangladesh, dependable and country-specific advice will save you a lot of trouble. Here is my list \u2013 how I wish I had known this before packing the bags!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Monkeys and cables<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Seeing is believing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    A few months before moving to Dhaka, when I started planning the move, I was badly surprised by the difficulty of finding information, and the low reliability of everything I\u2019d come across. Most Internet search results brought up generic advice for travelers to least developed or tropical countries, or at best tips from backpackers who spent 10 days in Bangladesh and came back feeling heroes. A lot of what I found was contradictory \u2013 some suggested a glamour lifestyle with servants and constant plane-hopping to Asian capitals, others dwelled on the amount of litter, or how unsafe they felt in crowds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After a while, I gave up, feeling intimidated by the negative comments and not at all helped on the practical side. I remember asking the question \u201cIs it safe to walk on the street?\u201d from several people, and getting baffling responses \u2013 ranging from \u201csure, safe enough\u201d to \u201cno, you need a car and driver for everything, it\u2019s essential\u201d to \u201cI live next door to my work and never go anywhere else\u201d. In retrospect, I should have spent more time talking to expats who lived in Dhaka, and should not have been shy to ask more questions to get to the bottom of it. Perception of life in Dhaka varies a lot based on the length of stay and even more, the type of personality \u2013 get a broad range and try to follow the person who seems to best match your character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Have you been to Thailand, Laos or Vietnam? Forget it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      I had never been to Bangladesh before moving there. I had been to Bangkok, I had backpacked my way through the north of Thailand and Laos \u2013 in my brain, this composed the bag of memories under the label \u201cAsia.\u201d Knowing this little, however, was worse than knowing nothing \u2013 it created the wrong expectations. Bangladesh may be a least developed country in Asia, but it is nothing like Laos. If you are more experienced than I had been before my move, and you had visited India or China already, it could be a better basis to imagine the density of people, the rapid urbanization and the terrifying levels environmental degradation in Dhaka \u2013 but even then, don\u2019t skip the research part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. Meet your new best friend, the air purifier.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Even a minimal research had shown that air quality would be one of our biggest worries while in Dhaka, so I had been prepared \u2013 or so I thought. We arrived with 2 medium-sized air purifiers, but quickly realized that we needed more. We purchased two extra-powerful ones and had them imported from Switzerland \u2013 a costly and lengthy process, but once they arrived, they made a huge difference. The worst period is winter, from December to March \u2013 colder and drier than the rest of the year, air quality varies from \u201cunhealthy\u201d to \u201cvery unhealthy\u201d, occasionally dropping to \u201chazardous\u201d category. Even a short walk to the supermarket left me nauseated. All the long winter, watching the variance of red, purple and brown colours of the AQI chart, I would snuggle up with my powerful air purifier, and breathe an air of gratitude. From March, air quality started improving slowly, and the wetter period from June to September quickly became my favourite season. The heavy monsoon rains cleaned up the city, and brought back its bright colours, shrouded under brown and grey haze for much of the year. But past September, air pollution quickly started rising again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        Dhaka in smog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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        1. Two of the world\u2019s most dangerous animals live in Bangladesh.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          No, not the elusive Bengal tiger of the Sundarbans. I mean two types of mosquitos, the Anopheles mosquito, spreading malaria and the Aedes mosquito, spreading dengue fever. Malaria is more of a risk in the southern districts of Bangladesh, and it is less likely to appear in Dhaka. But dengue fever, a sickness I had hardly been aware of before moving there, soon became a constant worry. I knew several expats who were taken ill with dengue: most recovered after a few weeks of home rest, one after a medical evacuation and treatment in a Bangkok hospital. However, dengue is particularly dangerous for young children, and with a 4-year old kid, I was on high alert. There is currently no reliable vaccine for dengue, and there are occasional huge surges in the country, notably during the summer monsoon months. We were there in August 2019, with Bangladesh\u2019s worst recent dengue fever outbreak, which lasted for months (some say it\u2019s still ongoing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The only real protection against dengue is to avoid mosquito bites, which can feel like a full time job. It starts with getting rid of all potential habitats for mosquitos in your near environment, particularly stagnant water (good luck with that in the tropics), using mosquito nets on all windows (or, even better, just don\u2019t open them, ever), sleeping under mosquito nets. Some people use elaborate mosquito traps with UV lights and the like; I preferred mosquito rackets, which fry the buggers with an extremely satisfying sizzle. But the piece de resistance of mosquito protection during my stay in Dhaka was the India-produced cream \u201cOdomos\u201d, a repellent which you can use on your children, can last up to 8 hours, and even has a pleasant citronella smell. My anecdotal evidence, for what it is worth, speaks highly of this product \u2013 nobody in my family got malaria or dengue. Just in case, you should still bring for backup some repellent with DEET. And make sure to bring mosquito nets for the bed and insecticide to treat the nets \u2013 these are not always easy to source locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          1. Bring everything you need or like, and bring plenty.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            If you take only one advice from this list, take this: bring all you need, and some more. Most expats move to Dhaka with an employers\u2019 package, which involves a generously sized container, but even if you don\u2019t, try to fill your bags the brim. Every non-perishable foodstuff that could survive a few months in a container \u2013 bring it. Chances are high that you won\u2019t be able to find what you like in Bangladesh. I remember when stumbling upon a can of Tesco sardines in a Dhaka supermarket felt like hitting gold, and when I regularly lugged suitcases full of tins, granola and salami from my holidays back to Dhaka. Import food is not only very expensive in Bangladesh, but it is also very hard to find, even in Dhaka\u2019s top supermarkets that cater to expats. Much of the import will be from Asia, which means that even canned vegetables will be different from what you expect (and not all surprises are good). As regards local food, pollution is a big issue. Local fruit, vegetables, milk and milk products, meat \u2013 all affected by the heavy soil, water and air pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Not only is your standard food hard to find, but most of the things you are used to. Sports shoes? Shoes of any kind, for big expat feet? Panty liners? Vitamins? Electronics? Books? Whatever you think you may need in your one, three or six years in Dhaka \u2013 bring it with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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            1. You will be parted with your belongings for 9 months.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              As na\u00efve first-timer, I took the moving agency\u2019s estimate of 2 months for my container to arrive seriously. Yes, there was the small print about port delays, sluggish paperwork, pirates and the like, but I fully expected to see my wardrobe, my kitchenware, my home appliances 2 months after arriving. Altogether, it took 5 months for the container to cover the stellar distance from Europe to Dhaka; when I moved back to Europe, it was about 4 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Most things, of course, you can buy or survive a few months without. The only real calamity was about my son\u2019s toys: for a 4-year old, 5 months is eternity itself. I bought him a lot of consolation toys in Dhaka, whatever was available, but it helped only little: he wanted his own, familiar toys, all the more so in a totally new environment, and he had regular nightmares about the ship sinking and all his precious toys ending up in the bottom of the ocean. I learnt my lesson the very hard way. If you can afford airlifting part of your belongings (so they arrive soon after you) or paying for excess luggage on the plane, it\u2019s worth this time. Otherwise, the only comfort is the absolute surprise you\u2019ll feel when your container finally makes it, and you realize the sheer magnitude of your possessions \u2013 you\u2019ll feel very rich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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              1. You will gain weight.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                After a few months, I could give my version of reply to the \u201cis it safe to walk on the street?\u201d question \u2013 \u201cyes, but you need an invisibility cloak\u201d (link to staring). That with the air pollution and the lack of space result in a mostly sedentary lifestyle. Combine it with a carbs-rich diet \u2013 either because you are worried about the quality of fresh products, or because you indulge too much in deep-fried samosas, syrupy local sweets or Western-style bakery stuff. Soon, you will find the need to frequent those factory sales where you can buy Bangladeshi ready-made garments before they\u2019re shipped to the far shores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                You can try to offset the calories by playing tennis or swimming in the expat clubs (though their numbers have been dwindling since my departure, as real estate in Dhaka is becoming pricier every year). To be able to run without excited onlookers or choking on the air, I bought a treadmill and regularly jogged with my air purifier as the only spectator. Still, Dhaka can make you flabby, and it\u2019s all the more visible when you cast off the modest loose long-pants and long-sleeves that you\u2019d be wearing there. But don\u2019t despair too much \u2013 Dhaka fat can be easy come, easy go. I gained 8 kilos in Dhaka, but lost most of it a few months after moving to a country with more wholesome vegetables and more legwork. Don\u2019t be too hard on yourself \u2013 order that cinnamon roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                1. Noise is a menace.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  On most rankings ever produced, South Asian and Chinese cities top the list noisiest cities, and Dhaka has a steady place in the top ten. Daytime is not much different from nighttime: with constructions going on 24\/7, the noise never subsides. Due to the traffic jams, much of the construction deliveries take place at night, in fact \u2013 I remember a long stretch of weeks when truckfuls of steel rods, cement and gravel were delivered every 3 am under our windows for the nearby construction site. Traffic noise is another constant vexation, with the incessant ramble and honking. November is wedding season, with wedding parties warming up from noon and going on the whole night; but with Dhaka\u2019s population density, someone in your neighborhood is bound to have something to celebrate. With all this hullabaloo, the 5-time daily calls for prayer did not seem an issue to me, tough the volume did adapt to the modern age, with megaphones blaring from several mosques around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Noise can be physically exhausting: I couldn\u2019t sleep normally, and found that I couldn\u2019t focus or relax. I couldn\u2019t find a flat with double glazed windows, though there are a few. Soundproofing is a concept not many heard about in Bangladesh, though we figured out some DIY soundproofing in the flat. I also spent a lot of time in the windowless central room of the apartment. Noise-cancelling headphones and earplugs are great to have, and make sure to bring them (not available locally). But noise is as hard to fight as air pollution, and the only real relief is when you fly out. I remember our stopovers at Doha airport, standing in the middle of a bustling modern airport and marveling how calm and quiet it seemed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                  1. Make your Asia wish list on day one, and start ticking it off.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                    Before Covid, and hopefully since then again, a great thing about Dhaka was connectivity. Bangkok is a 2-hour flight; India and Nepal are next door; Japan and Australia is about as far as a trip to Europe. Many expats get rest leaves in their package from their employer. Don\u2019t succumb to the natural tendency of procrastinating and thinking you will have time to do it later \u2013 make a rough sketch of what you want to see and when you\u2019d see it for the year ahead, or even for the whole duration of your stay in Dhaka. I missed out on Nepal and Myanmar because I left it too late (and then Covid hit), and I also had several \u201calmost\u201d trips to Malaysia, which all fell through \u2013 how I wish now I had gone. Plus, don\u2019t discard Bangladesh itself. Some of the most worthwhile trips I did during my stay were within the country \u2013 going on a boat on Dhaka\u2019s Buriganga, visiting small Christian villages in the North, and the isolated Chittagong Hill Tracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                    Fisherman on Buriganga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                    Chittagong welcome<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                    Indiana Jones ruins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                    Cox sandy beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                    It\u2019s easy to be put off \u2013 travelling within Bangladesh is often slow (think six to eight hours for 200 kilometers, much of it in various traffic jams and without chance for a toilet break), involves a lot of grisly sights (e.g. the industrial landscape around Dhaka) and can be expensive (with domestic flights, or when you need a driver\/tour operator). Whether you stick to the classic Bangkok shopping\/Thai beach rest leave, or opt for trekking to Annapurna, or go off the beaten track in-country, plan it and do it \u2013 this is a unique chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                    1. You will end up missing Bangladesh.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                      Daunting as it seems before you move, and an endless stay in your discomfort zone while in Dhaka, you will miss some things \u2013 or a great deal \u2013 after you leave Bangladesh. I miss the monsoon \u2013 the jubilant relief from pollution, and the sheer beauty of the endlessly pouring water. I miss the storms \u2013 Bangladesh has some of the most fascinating thunderstorms in the world, with the lightning igniting the whole sky, and jumping from cloud to cloud. Most of all, I miss the vibrancy \u2013 Bangladesh is a young country, with more than half of the population under thirty. With so many young people around, in spite of all the hardship, there is never a shortage of hope and energy, and this buoyancy lifts almost all moods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      Living in Bangladesh will give you a lot of kudos for being tough (some of it deserved), and it can be very entertaining to awe your audience when you respond \u201cin Dhaka\u201d to the ubiquitous question \u201cwhere do you live?\u201d All the rest of your life, the \u201cI used to live in Bangladesh\u201d will be an instant conversation starter, sometimes inspiring genuine curiosity. Living in Bangladesh can also open up your horizons and make you consider plans you would have never thought of before. Jobs and destinations that had seemed too implausible for serious reflection start sounding a lot less far-fetched. Working in a refugee camp, moving to Papua New Guinea, trekking from Tibet to Nepal, volunteering as expat club president \u2013 from professional decisions to adventurous pursuits, your world will expand. You will miss Bangladesh, but you will take a lot of it with you \u2013 you will not leave as the same person who arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                      Fishing boats in Cox area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      I lived 3 years in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. I won\u2019t deny I did regret this life choice a few times while there [10 worst things about living in Bangladesh\/]. Still, I had the occasional suspicion I would miss the country, and a few years after moving out, I do have my fond memories […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[79,35,80,78,34,81,77,83,82],"class_list":["post-10","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bangladesh","tag-air-purifier","tag-bangladesh","tag-dengue","tag-dhaka","tag-expat","tag-mosquitos","tag-moving-to-bangladesh","tag-noise","tag-safe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254,"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10\/revisions\/254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hikingonpluto.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}