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| Chandpur: | The ............ (3/10/05 to 5/10/05) | |
| Dhaka Division Dhaka Faridpur Gazipur Gopalganj Jamalpur Kishoreganj Madaripur Manikganj Munshiganj Mymensingh Narayanganj Narsingdi Netrokona Rajbari Shariatpur Sherpur Tangail Chittagong Division Khulna Division Rajshahi Division Barisal Division Sylhet Division |
Around nine o’clock the launch reached at Chandpur Ghat. We came down and for the first time we found massive security checking at a launch ghat. There were members from almost every department of law-enforcement. They were checking everyone and nearly every bags and luggages. I stayed at lead and face them first asking if it is a normal checking at launch ghat or there is some serious security problem occurred in this district as we have not seen this kind of checking when we ride on the launch from Munshiganj. In reply he answered positive about security emergency and asked me why we are equipped with cycles and huge luggages. I told him that we are cycle tourist and by entering Chandpur we are entering the 32 districts of our country which is exactly half of the districts of Bangladesh. He asked me to show them our paper. After watching our papers he also checked our luggage’s and then wished us good luck. I asked him about the problems and he said that a terrorist group named JMB has throw bomb inside the court of the district today targeting some magistrate and lots of people died. Then, I ask him about his identity so that I can get rid of other security checks on our way to circuit house. I showed him how hard it is to unpack and then packing again the luggage’s. He told me his name and gave us the direction to reach circuit house easily. It was raining, the whole town was too silent though lighted from the shops and building. Police cars and bikes were patrolling everywhere. A few of the stopped us but after some conversation they let us continue. Some of them confirmed our identity by wireless. After one hour or more we reached at circuit house. We find NDC over there. He was waiting for some other VIP. He listened to us and advised me to stay at any hotels for tonight. He told me that he is in big crisis of accommodation as lots of high official has arrived from Dhaka and more are coming. I told him that some hotel might refuse us to accommodate due to the security problems they are having. Then he gave me his number and said if the hoteliers feel suspicious about our identity I should tell them to phone him and he will instruct them for us to stay. So we came out from the circuit house and start searching hotels. Most of them were saying no empty rooms. We found suspicious looks in their eyes. At last at the opposite of “Faisal Shopping Complex” of the city we found a hotels mostly occupied by the truck drivers have a few rooms. The manager over here was also getting worried about our identity. He was talking to some other truck drivers who were regular guest of this hotel. One of them asked me the names of districts we have completed. Then he asked me about some those highways and I was able to describing those roads successfully. Then he smiled and assured the managers that he should give us rooms. We signed in the register and enter at our rooms. We took a short shower and came downstairs for supper. There was restaurant at ground floor and we had our supper there somehow. After supper my partners went upstairs for sleeping and I stayed with those friendly drivers to answer their questions. They were very much happy to get all the answers of their questions. Later I came to my room and slept. At morning we get ready and came down to get our breakfast. After breakfast we said goodbye to all of them and headed for DC office. At the gate of DC office we saw huge number of polices and very tight security. They were not allowing any vehicles to enter the compound of DC office. They even refused the Magistrate to park their car inside. So, I asked my team to stay outside of the gate and I entered inside only with my files. I went to the room of CA. He ignored me and said that he will not even pass our message to DC. So, I went to the room of NDC. He asked me if I need to meet him or if I need the papers most. Because all the day he will be too busy attending lots of meeting with various departments and answering only some important phone calls. He has cancelled his routine program for next few days. So, I asked him to manage me the paper and he gave me the paper after 20 minutes. I came out and find only Rana there standing alone with four cycles. He told me that Angela and Dilip had gone nearby as they were getting bored by standing. We waited for them. But when they return they had some kind of quarrel like the previous day. Angela declared that she is not interested to see Dilip as her partner and so she is going back to Dhaka by bus right now. They had some massive quarrel. With Rana I tried to clear their misunderstanding but failed. So, we went to the Intercity Bus Terminal of the town and got a single ticket of Dhaka for Angela. They buses from here start for Dhaka at every one hour. We missed the last bus and so we start waiting for the next bus which will leave terminal after one hour. Thank God that we missed the last bus because within this hour we were able to cancel Angela’s wish to leave us. We went to a restaurant to have a little snack. Suddenly Rana and Angela start arguing over something and this time Rana declared that he will go to Dhaka right now. I was not ready to release him without consent from his parents as he was the youngest member of our team. We phoned to his parents but their phone was busy. So, Rana write in his own handwriting that he is leaving us today and no one should make our team responsible for anything happened to him on the way. He signed in it and handed me the paper. I asked Dilip to take Angela somewhere so that I can manage Rana easily. Then after a long time he agreed to travel with us. When Angela and Dilip came back they offered us to visit a famous shrine of this district. Rana told me that he needs some rest and he will wait here in the restaurant no matter how long it might take. We left our cycles to Rana and went there by Rickshaw. It was situated on the bank of a river. This place was very peaceful and quiet. I thank Angela and Dilip for bringing me here. Soon we left that place and ate chotpoti on our way back. Rana was waiting for us and he said he has taken his lunch by this time. We also ordered our lunch and after the lunch it was too late for us to start. But we start cycling towards Lakshmipur District. The Sun set on west but we were cycling. after two hours or more we arrived at a place from where Faridganj Upazila’s Bunglow was only twenty minutes away. We reached at bunglow. After talking to the caretaker he asked his son to guide me to the UNO (Chief Officer of Upazila). I met UNO and after watching our papers he instructs that boy to tell his to open the rooms for us. There caretaker was using some belonging of that room and returned them soon. I asked them too have their bath and went to the market for medicine and supper. I ate at the market and when I came back I find that my team members have cleaned the room and made it real comfortable. The room looked very dirty when we entered. They hanged their wet dresses and start eating while I finished my bath. As soon as we tasks we jump to our beddings (Sofa, bed, floor, etc) for sleeping. At morning we left our bed early and took care of our cycles as we have planned to go to Noakhali via Lakshmipur. We start very soon for the Lakshmipur and nearly about one hour we crossed the boundary of Faridganj Upazila thus leaving Chandpur. |
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