An insight into the history, politics and society of Bangladesh, which means “Land of Bengal”. We tell you about our impressions during our time in this country.

Bangladesh is one of the highly dense populated countries in the world. One of the country’s challenges is climate change and the associated circular floods, cyclones and land slides, soil erosion and salinization (caused by the rise in sea level), and loss of land area and thus also of living space and arable land.

In Rangpur, we talked to Aslam Pervez. Pervez is Consultant Manager of the RDRS Bangladesh Guesthouse. RDRS Bangladesh itself is an NGO that has been active since 1972, i.e. since Bangladesh’s independence. Now an autonomous national NGO, RDRS Bangladesh is primarily active in the areas of poverty reduction, systematic discrimination, women’s rights, health, education, agriculture, food security and microcredit.

“But in the coming century, change in the Earth’s climate will bring more intense but less predictable extreme events. As the rural poor usually live in environmentally vulnerable areas, their future will become even more precarious as shifts in weather patterns will treat harvests, damage the land and create destabilization.” (Annual Report 2015 of RDRS Bangladesh, p. 43)

Playlist:
Moushumi Bhowmik – Jessore Road
Tintin N Taposh – Bangladesh instrumental
Azam Khan – Ami Jare Chaire
Moushumi Bhowmik – Tarpar Bristi Name
Kafil Ahmed – Sahodora Jwolonto Agni
Moushumi Bhowmik – Jodi bheshte jaite chao go (from the film ‘Matir Moina – The Clay Bird’ by Tareque Masud)
Azam Khan – Jibone kichu pabo na re