A gap year in Bangladesh
Gap years in Bangladesh
It’s the home of curry as we know it. But once you’ve feasted on vindaloo and aloo saag, what more is there to do in Bangladesh? Help at eye clinics, track the elusive Bengal Tiger, or teach English in rural schools. And finish up with a week on the world’s longest beach. Sound tempting? Pack your suitcase, leave civilisation behind you, and spend your GAP year in the world’s happiest nation…
Gap Year Opportunities
It’s not the most obvious choice for a GAP year, but Bangladesh is certainly a country where you can make a real difference.
If you’re up for a challenge, you might be able to take part in some of the following activities:
Help teach English in a rural or city school - Bengal children and adults need support to learn and practise their
conversational English skills. Plant trees, or research the Royal Bengal Tiger – conservationists can work on projects in some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes.
Or you could help out at a mobile surgery, or improve sanitation understanding – communities in rural Bangladesh are often far from basic services.
About Bangladesh
Situated between India and Pakistan, Bangladesh has only been independent for 36 years. Since winning independence from Pakistan, the population has stood together to tackle its natural and social problems: communities are well-equipped to cope with natural disasters and have established a constitution and a democratic system that’s admired the world over. Socially and economically, the rates of development are remarkably fast, although the country still has a long way to go.
Bangladesh is extremely densely populated, with 14 million people living in the capital, Dhaka, alone – making it the world’s most densely-occupied city after Hong Kong. Inter-faith harmony has always been a characteristic of the country. Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Islamic people live in mutual respect and peace.
Although Bangladesh suffers extreme poverty, its people have been shown to be among the world’s happiest! Professors at the London School of Economics may have been surprised to discover that this retiring country came top of their ‘happiness map’ in 1999. Upon analysing the results, they decided that one of the key factors was that Bangladeshi people – as well as having an irrepressibly independent spirit – are content with their lives and their futures, not harbouring unrealistic aspirations. Like many parts of India, most people you’ll encounter are delighted to interact with visitors, and will be very welcoming.
What’s to see in Bangladesh?
Visit the Sundarbans – the world’s biggest mangrove forest – and watch out for the native Bengal tiger. India’s closest neighbour is just as beautiful and just as varied, with tropical rainforests and breathtaking shorelines.
As you’ll notice if you flick through any Fair Trade catalogue, Bangladesh is one of the biggest craft producers in the world. In fact most of the country’s exports are fabrics and woven textiles. Weaving, embroidery and screen-printing are big business, along with tea and cotton growing. Many companies offer meaningful tours where you’ll get to visit producers and find out about these skills first-hand.
In hot, crowded Dhaka the rickshaw rules the roads (and pavements). Right in the centre of the country, Dhaka gets a hot, tropical climate and, being on the shores of the Buriganga river, is susceptible to floods in monsoon season. Good reason to avoid it? Possibly. But the city’s large and varied population brings plenty of interesting contrast to the table: the booming middle-class population has inspired many new shops and malls, and the mixture of religions means that Dhaka’s cultural celebrations feature all year around. Hop on one of the 400,000 rickshaws and take a trip to the National Mosque, modelled on the famous mosque in Mecca.
Moving on is easy: use the cheap and old-fashioned rail network to travel from Dhaka into India on a line that reaches far into the Himalayas. Or you could head for one of the world’s longest beaches. Cox’s Bazar is touted as the country’s favourite tourist spot. You can take a jeep or an elephant up the 75-mile stretch or visit some of the coastal attractions, including a large Buddhist monastery and Ramu, a village famous for its home-made cigars… we’ll leave you to discover the rest…