Saturday, 22 December 2012

Building up the country



This is what I can see from my hotel window, an apartment building where work has progressed very quickly over the last six weeks. Even during all of the hartals, the construction has continued at a rapid pace (it helps, of course, when workers live on site). There is a truck in the picture, which is rather unusual as trucks are banned from driving on Dhaka roads until after 8 p.m., as a result, we are often privileged to hear deliveries being made and work being conducted in the wee small hours of the night. Lucky us, last night was the noisiest night yet. It makes me long for rain again.

I took this video to show some of the activity (and the soundtrack) that takes place during daylight hours. Please note the video is hosted on Facebook and Google+, and only members will be able to view it. I tried hard to make the video accessible to all by uploading it onto my blog, but failed for two reasons: 1). no android phone, and 2). no access to YouTube in Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister ordered the major telecommunication companies to block access to YouTube following the appearance of a certain infamous video made in the U.S. in September, 2012. After reading some articles online, I discovered the ban was extended to other Google services, some of which may be employed by my blog host and which perhaps explains why I can't upload a video directly. Even though I am not an avid YouTube user, I have felt its absence in my life (can't watch this spectacular horse race for example, nor can I see any news clips or get instructions on how to cook lasagne).

It is a great shame, particularly in a country hampered by limited resources, that people are not able to enjoy its use freely. It seems like such a wasted opportunity since its use has become mainstream in the classroom and it is the cheapest and most effective medium for people to gain knowledge from the experts. It would be wonderful if the finish of the apartment building coincided with the return of YouTube in Bangladesh.

The expression, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride immediately sprung into my mind after I typed the previous sentence. No amount of wishing ever changed anything I know. I will just have to wait and see what happens however.




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