Page 53 - GOTIL (ENG) Sample

Village Life in Bangladesh 21

Less fortunate are they who have to pull sailboats upstream
on windless days. Strong sinewy men on the shore path
grasp long ropes attached to the boats. Bending forward
under the cruel sun — their eyes fixed on the path ahead,
bodies blackened and wet with perspiration, and their
breathing hard and deep — they tortuously haul the
vessel ahead.

Since Bengal is a land of many people and limited
resources, overcrowding and overuse of facilities is
normal. As are buses and trucks on land, passenger and
freight boats are likewise usually overloaded. Sometimes a
load is bigger than the vessel itself, so that the boat, pressed
deep into the water, can hardly be seen beneath. This is
especially so with cargoes of jute fibers, huge bundles of
which are somehow or other fastened onto boats much
smaller than they. Not surprisingly, overloading often
leads to disasters. Especially in the rainy season hardly
a day passes without loss of life on the waters; it is not
uncommon for dozens or even hundreds of people to
die in such accidents.

I was once on a river journey during rainy season. Upon
boarding the launch it appeared solid, but in the middle of
a wide choppy river, under fierce bombardment by rain,
it seemed tiny and frail. As the storm intensified, the crew
was apparently losing control. The captain then negotiated
the boat toward the riverbank, where the current was
less strong, and put down anchor. One gentleman with