SYLHET, BANGLADESH // “This bus goes to Sylhet,” the conductor said outside Dhaka’s international airport. He examined the ticket. The fare and destination were correct.
The look on his face was still doubting, though. It seemed to be saying, what are you thinking? Do you realise what you are getting yourself into?
It would have been a good question as this journey to get to the Bangladesh town where the World Twenty20 tournament Group B qualifying matches were being played was about to dissolve into the decidedly dodgy.
“You know this trip is eight hours?” said another passenger just across the gangway. He had an evil grin of the sort that is painted on the double doors at the start of a fairground ghost train ride, ready to consume its next victims. Get ready, it said.
Outside the bus, the remaining passengers took a last few puffs on cigarettes. They had the look of the condemned.
Everything seemed foreboding, but nothing more so than the state of disrepair the vehicle was in.
The windows had more cracks than a fifth-day wicket in Perth, particularly the windscreen, which had a lone platelet of clear glass just wide enough for the driver to see through.
As soon as the engine was fired up and the 36-passenger blundering missile (a blunder-bus?) was sent into the breach, it was obvious why it was so heavily pockmarked.
Given the carnage that passes for the motorway code in Bangladesh, the lifespan of any vehicle would seem measured in months. This bus was probably only a week old.
With all the traffic and street detritus, the broken windscreen is easy to understand but the massive splits in the side windows not so. The glass panels splay out from a central impact point, obliterating the advertisements for Bangladeshi Idol – the commercial department, not to mention the Bangla wannabes whose images are blemished, would not be amused.
One explanation could be the regular “hartal” days – the days of protest that happen as a matter of course about once a month on average.
On such days, two-wheeled vehicles can go about their lives as usual, but four-wheelers are regarded as scabs and get pelted with stones by those on strike.
Presumably, this being a “business-class” bus – as the sign at the top of the front window proudly announces – it has to work its route come what may. So on strike days, it is a moving target.
Replacing the windows entirely, given the prospect that they are just going to be smashed again within hours, would be a false economy.
Far easier and more cost-effective, then, just to patch up the panel rather than replace it. As such, to prevent the windows caving in, small round segments of glass have been glued to the pane. That should fix it.
In 2005, about Dh1 billion of mostly World Bank funds were spent on transforming the Dhaka-Sylhet motorway into one of Bangladesh’s fastest transport routes.
Fast does not equate to safe, though. According to official figures, 180 people are killed on this road a year, although its users believe that to be a gross underestimate.
To all intents and purposes, the lone safety feature on a road that links the Bangladesh capital to the country’s north-eastern sector is the car horn.
Essentially, the drivers sound their horns as loud as they can, for as long as they like, as a warning they are coming, while doing whatever speed they fancy. The devil takes the quietest.
At one point in an eight-hour shift in which he gets one 20-minute break, our driver stretched out his spare arm and twiddled his fingers around the cage separating him from the passengers. The other hand was employed blaring the horn.
To be fair, we were probably only doing about 60kph at the time, on a densely peopled, single lane track/road, with no barriers separating the tarmac from a drop to the floodplain below. Why worry?
Happily, the pasty foreigner was not the first passenger to succumb to motion sickness. A diminutive man in a white tagiyah emerged from a violent vomiting fit into one of the bus company-issued sick bags with the grin of an experienced campaigner.
The conductor played his part and sprayed an air-freshening aerosol after the event.
Finally alighting in Sylhet, Bangladesh’s fifth largest city, was sweet relief, although the escape from the ordeal was not immediate.
“Sir,” the conductor said, looking more harassed than at any point in the previous eight hours. “You have forgotten the baksheesh [tip].”
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
THE%20SPECS
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
The%20Woman%20King%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Gina%20Prince-Bythewood%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Thuso%20Mbedu%2C%20Sheila%20Atim%2C%20Lashana%20Lynch%2C%20John%20Boyega%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
