Bipa's Prokrito Bangladesh: June 2008

By Lubana Rahman

“I was shocked, my blood was running in my veins in so high speed …I am suddenly reached in cloud nine! I can’t believe this! Is it happened at last or still I am in dream…”---this was my first inner expression when I have heard about this trip from my husband. He was planning to give me surprise and he succeeded on it!

I am not an extrovert person but I do love journey, outing and of course cooking. But here, today, I am taking you with me into my journey at Cox’s Bazaar through my experience.

Our journey began at dawn. We caught 7 o’ clock’s train. I relieved my breath after taking a seat in train. As my husband, Riaz and me both are service holder, we have very little common leisure time. We were planning for this journey by train to Cox’s Bazaar for few years. However, suddenly, at night, after returning home from his job, he told me that I have a surprise for which I am devouringly dreaming and that was the very next day we were setting off to Cox’s Bazaar. Hurriedly, I arranged the entire luggage, taking digital camera for capturing beautiful moments, taking a flask full of tea and some dry food.

We reached at chittagong rail station after a seven hours journey. I enjoyed all the views the journey could offer along its rail-tracks; passing time eating, drinking, and taking some snaps. From station, we send off for our cousin’s house at Agrabad with handful of sweets and fruits as a gift of our hearty hospitality to them. After taking a half hour refreshment, we are getting ready for roaming in Foyze Lake with our cousin. There a pleasing, heart-charming view waiting for us to welcome these thirsty, eager eyes of us. What a view! I don’t know the exact expressing word which can truly express my feelings; I am lacking of that! It is so huge that one day must be scheduled for enjoying those heart-cooling, spell-bounded views. We did regret of spending such little time here. We just did some rides, boating less than for half an hour, riding on hills and sipping the beauties as my athirst eyes can do. We took snaps even after dark as if framing out could save more time to view these beauties for longer!

Some pictures of Fayaze Lake:

I am with my husband

Next day, we were set off for Cox’s Bazaar in rain by bus. You can go at Cox’s bazaar by bus or reserve taxi; it is three-hour journey but don’t worry, your heart is already stealing away by roadside views. Those heart-thundering scenarios make you forget all the tensions, boringness and tiredness. Fresh, hilly air filled with welcoming aroma, engulfing us to its enchanting views. I enjoyed with every cells, with every breath, with my heart and with my soul. Chips and soft drink just worked as catalyst in this bus-journey.

Some pictures of Cox’s Bazaar:

Taking a meal from a restaurant, we step for the sea-beach. It was a wintry noon; its chilling was little higher because few hours ago, a hilly raining spread its touches to the weather. Waves were coming and breaking on beach…as if…as if...So many unspoken words, stories were trying to say its visitors but before it reaching to us, just breaking down. The sky bent down with the sea at horizon. To me, the world seems stopped there, I was drowning, drowning to its silence, bewildering to its hugeness, to its enormous beauty, overwhelmed by all of the sea and the horizon has offered to me.

There is a small market, build up based on handicrafts of oyster-shell of mollusk. We did roaming here and there, eating local food and then waving good bye to Cox’s Bazaar; we were heading for Agrabad by bus at 5 p.m. In downpour rain, we reached at our cousin’s home at 9.30 p.m.

The next day in Agrabad make me wake up with its soft, drizzling sound of cats and dogs rain. Today we booked the whole day for Potenga sea-beach. Here, we did shopping till noon for our family as souvenir from Chittagong, then stepped down to the beach after enjoying mouth-watering local meals, seeing the ebb and flow, taking snacks and of course lots of snaps before returning to our cousin’s home.

Some pictures of Potenga sea-beach:

This is the last day here. We, today will go back again Dhaka by train at 3 p.m. this last day, Chittagong offered us a bright, sunny day from her lap as special souvenir to us as if, “see, I also have bright sunny day!”. After taking breakfast, we headed for Chittagong war-cemetery for the few hours we have before leaving Chittagong. This cemetery is build for those brave soldiers who died in World War II. This place is so solemn, so calm and beautifully mantled with lime, green grass, scented flowers as if to show them this ‘world’-y respect to their sacrificed soul. I bend my head to those graves that fights for this wonderful world.

Some pictures of World War II:

Our train journey towards Dhaka began at 3 o’ clock. We did lunch in train, enjoying this seven-hour long journey with chips, flask full of tea, fruits and the views. We reached at Dhaka at 11 o’ clock. Here it is ended but I am luring for again the journey to Cox’s Bazaar, tempting to spend more days there, enticing to sip all the beauties it has offered to me. How many unvisited sights are still there! How many waves are still breaking down, telling so many unspoken stories to its viewers… Ahhh, what a journey it was!