The Barisal (Barishal) Airport, Bangladesh

The Barisal (Barishal) Airport, Bangladesh

Dr. Sachi G. Dastidar

ISPaD: Partition Documentation Project Report; January 25, 2019

Barisal (Barishal) in the coastal area of Bengal – now in Bangladesh – is located in the world’s largest Ganga-Brahmaputra delta that has been known for millennia as the place to be traveled only by boat, much less by air. It is a place which is flood prone during monsoon months inundating much of the land mass. Even a few years back road travel wasn’t easy as there were numerous river ferries until construction of many bridges over these rivers was completed. I still remember my parents telling me stories as to how my two older brothers went to school by dinghy during monsoon months while walking during dry months. That has been true for the southern districts of Bengal – Bangladesh and Paschim Bangla (West Bengal) State of India for eternity. A 2018 trip to Venice, Italy reminded me of my older brothers again and again as kids there were taking ferries to go to school.

Not far from the airport my ancestors lived for about 500 years ago establishing a village on the land that rose from the riverbed, relocating from Gava where written goes back another half-a-millennia, a few kilometers away but took more than half-a-day by boat in the old days. I guess that is when my ancestors established the village who were honored by calling one “Dastidar” by non-native, non-Bengali-speaking Muslim rulers of Bengal who then depended on Hindus for their day-to-day work, administration and for technical support.

Going to Barisal by air was unthinkable until I vaguely remember my older brother, A. G. Dastidar, a noted Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineer with offices in Calcutta (Kolkata) and elsewhere in India, was invited by one Mr. Islam who had a huge construction company in Bangladesh for feasibility work for many infrastructure and building construction projects in late 1980s through late 1990s, including an airport in Barisal. Our family is one of the indigenous families of Barisal with a written history for almost a millennium. (I guess writing something down was not a big thing before that.) So I thought my ancestors must be very happy as well as perplexed by my travel plan, that was worked by our nephew in Dhaka and a Hindu monk from the neighboring Madaripur district, where my maternal grandparents’ ancestral home is. I was joined by my oldest sister Didi and her close friend NamitaDi. And this was by US-Bangla Airlines that was started by someone I knew from New York City! The flight from Dhaka to Barisal was uneventful except for my oldest sister Didi and me. For no reason we were given a special ride in the airlines' special car from the terminal to the aircraft. At the flight selfie was a must! On this flight there were many important individuals, including the newly elected Member of Parliament of Bangladesh from Barisal, thus there were many slogans of Joi Bangla (Victory to Bangladesh) and Swagatam (Welcome) to the M.P. at the Barisal terminal building. All the travelers were happy to be welcomed. As we walked from the aircraft to the small terminal building, the atmosphere was quite relaxed as the local security didn’t mind deplaning passengers taking pictures of the airport building from the tarmac before entering the structure. (In many countries one is not allowed to do that.) It didn’t take long for Mr. Alam, the cab driver, and monk Jiban Maharaj to spot our party of 3 persons, with two women. “Welcome to Barisal,” said both the waiting hosts. Taxis, especially three-wheeler “auto taxis” were available in plenty. After our picture taking, we all left for our journey that will take us to Sugandha Kali Pith Temple – one of 51 pithas of the Black Mother Goddess Kali, followed by a stop at Mahilara to look at the Nihar Kana Building that we had built in memory of my mother and mother-in-law, finally to the monk’s Pranab Ashram where many Probini-supporters built a boys’ hostel (dorm). As soon as we left the airport parking lot we were deep in the midst of rural Bengal – green, soothing, calming and enchanting.

May we wish the Airport a great prosperity!

Location of Barisal District in the Costal South

 

View on a Foggy Day 

 

 

Selfie from the Tarmac

Before Reaching the Terminal

Flight Schedule to Barisal Welcoming all Travelers

Welcome by Monk Jiban Maharaj to Didi and NamitaDi

Welcoming Visitors

 

Auto-Taxis at the Airport

 

Welcome by Mr. Alam and Rev. Maharaj

Bangladesh Countryside outside the Airport

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mahilara, Gour Nodi, Barisal, Bangladesh Nihar Kana Building

Mahilara, Gour Nodi, Barisal, Bangladesh

The Oppressed, the Vanquished Rising from the Ashes

Dr. Sachi G. Dastidar

Probini Foundation Report; January 20, 2019

It is really wonderful to witness firsthand when some oppressed groups are able to rise from the ashes. Mahilara, especially the historic 300-year old Mahilara Mott Sri Krishna temple has just done that. In a recent January 2019 visit by a Probini Foundation delegation revealed that. In early 1990s when Probini supporters first visited, the place was barely surviving. A campaign by this writer to both the pro-Islamist and pro-secular governments resulted in repairing the temple, which was promised in writing to this writer, is the temple is now listed in a book “Hindu Temples of Bangladesh” by UNESCO. Probini supporters have built a Nihar Kana Bhaktabash O Bidyalaya (Nihar Kana Devotee Quarters and School) in 2001. The place came under attack during pogroms of 1990, 1992 and 2001- just months after the school was opened, but survived. During 2001 pogrom all the Hindu minority, except one, were denied from voting, and many, including the head teacher, a Hindu monk, had to flee before the election. This writer and three of his family members met with the winning pro-Islamist Member of Parliament in December 2001 at the Gour Nodi Circuit House to protest such violence – the M.P. promised that it won’t happen again, as well as met with the American Embassy officials seeking protection for the American-built building, as well as to protest inaccurate reporting by the Embassy on the election. Now the poor, the oppressed, the penniless raised funds to build the semi-permanent second floor of the Probini building on top of the brick-and-concrete building, a separate brick-and-concrete structure for religious services, a tin-covered meeting place, a Sankar Toron (Sankar Arch) and more. There is lot more to do including a school building and a concrete wall on the pond adjacent to the Nihar Kana building to protect the building’s foundation from erosion by the huge pond. That concrete barrier was approved three times by the local Member of Parliament, Bangladesh but was never acted upon. The local project is being run by the monk Dayamoy Sadhu. During the delegation's visit a huge crowd of local villagers welcomed them with garlands, shower of rose petals and rice grain, ululating, conch blowing and sloganeering "Long live Probini Foundation" and "Joi [Victory] to Bangladesh and Probini."

 

Note by Bangladesh Archeology Department

 

 

 

Monk and Head Teacher Rev. Dayamoy Sadhu

 

The Builder's Tablet

The Nihar Kana building was built with donations from Dr. Shefali Sengupta Dastidar, Miss Joyeeta G. Dastidar, Master Shuvo G. Dastidar, In Memory of the Late Rajlakshmi Mitra’s (Pirojpur) by son Sushen, In Memory of the Late Sudha Sengupta by son Ashish, Dr. Kusumita Priscilla Pedersen, In Memory of the Late Anil Kumar Mazumdar’s Memory by son Chitta Ranjan, In Memory of the Late Dhirendra Kumar Saha by son Bidhu Bhusan, Mr. Angan Haldar, In Memory of the Late K.B. Roy Choydhury by daughter Ruma, SriMadbhagabat Gita Sangha of New York, Dr. Sabyasachi Ghosh Dastidar.

Check https://empireslastcasualty.blogspot.com/2008/12/saving-of-300-year-old-mahilara-mott.html  for additional information.

Mahilara welcomes donation by well-wishers. Please contact probini@hotmail.com for further contact.

The Sankar Toron (Gate) Built in Memory of Dr. Sankar Ghosh Dastidar

(Medical Doctor in Kolkata, India)

A Memorial with Lord Shiva built on First Floor Roof

with Ashes from Mrs. Nihar Kana

(Annually on Shiv Ratri Day of Lord Shiva Thousands of Devotees

pour Milk and Water -- a Traditional Ritual of Thousands of Years)

The Encroaching Pond

Memorials on Site

 

 

Bangladesh School held at Chandshi Hindu Temple of Gour Nodi Police Station

At Chanshi of Gour Nodi Police Station of southern, coastal Barisal District classes are being held the village Hindu Mandir (temple) as the original school was abandoned ten years ago because of non-maintenance of the old school. The secretary of the school organizing committee Sri Bikash Goswami said that classes were held for 5 years in the old building even after its official abandonment in 2005; since then classes are being held at the temple. School's headmaster Sri Sankar Humar Datta said that Chandshi is inhabited most by poor and oppressed Hindu (minorities in the Muslim-majority Bangladesh.)

Incidentally Chandshi is a famous and historical village going back to the pre-Bengal partition days.

http://www.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/article/494416/%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A0%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87

Prothom Alo April 4, 2015

বিদ্যালয় ভবন পরিত্যক্ত

পাঠদান চলে মন্দিরে

গৌরনদী (বরিশাল) প্রতিনিধি | আপডেট: ০২:২০, এপ্রিল ০৪, ২০১৫ | প্রিন্ট সংস্করণ

 

     

বরিশালের গৌরনদী উপজেলার মধ্য চাঁদশী সরকারি প্রাথমিক বিদ্যালয় ভবনটি পরিত্যক্ত। শিক্ষার্থীদের পড়ানো হচ্ছে পাশের মন্দিরে। গত বৃহস্পতিবার তোলা ছবি l প্রথম আলোবরিশালের গৌরনদী উপজেলার মধ্য চাঁদশী গৌরীচাঁদ সরকারি প্রাথমিক বিদ্যালয়ের ভবনটি ১০ বছর আগে পরিত্যক্ত ঘোষণা করা হয়েছে। বিকল্প ব্যবস্থা না থাকায় পরবর্তী পাঁচ বছর পরিত্যক্ত ভবনেই পাঠদান (ক্লাস) করা হয়। পাঁচ বছর ধরে স্থানীয় সর্বজনীন মন্দিরে পাঠদান করা হচ্ছে। নতুন ভবন চেয়ে সংশ্লিষ্ট দপ্তরে অনেকবার ধরনা দিয়েও কোনো ফল মেলেনি।
গত বৃহস্পতিবার সরেজমিনে দেখা যায়, মধ্য চাঁদশী সর্বজনীন মন্দিরে ছাত্রছাত্রীদের পড়ানো হচ্ছে। পাশেই বিদ্যালয়ের পরিত্যক্ত ভবন। ভবনটির ভেতরে পলেস্তারা খসে পড়ছে। বিমের রড বের হয়ে গেছে।
বিদ্যালয় ব্যবস্থাপনা কমিটির সভাপতি বিকাশ গোস্বামী জানান, বিদ্যালয়ের ভবনটি অধিক ঝুঁকিপূর্ণ হওয়ায় ২০০৫ সালে এটিকে পরিত্যক্ত ঘোষণা করে উপজেলা শিক্ষা কমিটি ও উপজেলা প্রকৌশল অধিদপ্তর। পরিত্যক্ত ঘোষণার পরও বিকল্প ব্যবস্থা না থাকায় ওই ভবনেই পরবর্তী পাঁচ বছর পাঠদান করা হয়। কিন্তু ধসে পড়ার আশঙ্কায় ২০১০ সাল থেকে ভবনটি পরিত্যাগ করে মধ্য চাঁদশী সর্বজনীন মন্দিরের বারান্দায় পাঠদান শুরু করা হয়। বর্তমানে বিদ্যালয়ে ১৭২ জন ছাত্রছাত্রী পড়াশোনা করছে।
বিদ্যালয়ের প্রধান শিক্ষক শংকর কুমার দত্ত জানান, মধ্য চাঁদশী গ্রামটি পশ্চাৎপদ ও হতদরিদ্র সংখ্যালঘু-অধ্যুষিত। ১৯৭২ সালে বিদ্যালয়টি প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়। ১৯৯৩-৯৪ সালে বিদ্যালয়ের শিক্ষার্থীদের পাঠদানের জন্য পাকা ভবন নির্মাণ করা হয়। অথচ এক যুগের মাথায় ভবনটি ব্যবহারের অনুপযোগী হয়ে পড়ে। বিদ্যালয় ভবন পরিত্যক্ত ঘোষণা হওয়ার পরও শিক্ষার্থী ও শিক্ষকেরা জীবনের ঝুঁকি নিয়ে ক্লাস করতেন। তিনি আরও বলেন, ‘অজপাড়া গাঁয়ের হতদরিদ্র এলাকায় অবস্থিত হওয়ায় বিদ্যালয়টি অবহেলিত এবং কেউই এটির খোঁজ রাখে না। আমাদের সমস্যার কথা বারবার জানানো হলেও কোনো গুরুত্ব দিচ্ছে না সংশ্লিষ্ট কর্তৃপক্ষ।’
চাঁদশী ইউনিয়ন পরিষদের (ইউপি) চেয়ারম্যান কৃষ্ণ কান্ত দে বলেন, ‘বিদ্যালয়ের নতুন ভবন নির্মাণ ও ডোবা ভরাট করার জন্য সংশ্লিষ্ট দপ্তরের ঊর্ধ্বতন কর্মকর্তাদের কাছে আমি বহুবার মৌখিকভাবে বলেছি। লিখিত দিয়েছি। কিন্তু কোনো সাড়া পাইনি।’ জরুরি ভিত্তিতে ভবন নির্মাণে প্রয়োজনীয় ব্যবস্থা নেওয়ার জন্য তিনি প্রধানমন্ত্রী, শিক্ষামন্ত্রী ও স্থানীয় সাংসদের দৃষ্টি কামনা করেছেন।
উপজেলা শিক্ষা কর্মকর্তা মোস্তফা মাসুদ প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, বিদ্যালয়টির ভবন নির্মাণ খুবই জরুরি। উপজেলা শিক্ষা কমিটির অনুমোদন সাপেক্ষে ভবন নির্মাণের বিষয়টি ঊর্ধ্বতন কর্তৃপক্ষকে জানানো হয়েছে।

 

Journey through Rivers of Barisal, Coastal Bangladesh

Journey through Rivers of Barisal, Coastal Bangladesh

Sabyasachi Ghosh Dastidar

Here are a few pictures of a journey from SriRamKathi village to Doihari village of Swarupkathi (island) to Malikanda village of Uzirpur through Sandhya Nodi (river) all in Barisal District.

The journey took almost eight hours through the picturesque countryside, while Bengali kirtan music played through the help of solar-powered battery, and hot lunch served by monk Sunil Sadhu.

One of the Rivers

From SriRamKathi

SriRamKathi

On the Boat

On the Deck

On the Canal

Landing at Sahid Smriti Madhyamik Balika Bidyaloi (Martyrs Memorial Girls' High School), Doihari

River port scene

 A Vendor

Commuting by Boat

Landing at Malikanda

Welcome at Malikanda Surya Sen Orphanage with Dhunuchi Nach (Incense Dance)

Evening on Sandhya Nodi (river)





Gava, Bangladesh: Home of Ghosh Dastidar Family

Gava, Bangladesh: Home of the Ghosh Dastidar Family

by

Sabyasachi Ghosh Dastidar

Pancha-Ratna (Five Steepled) Hindu Temple

(now an Islamic mosque resides in its courtyard after the Hindu deity was destroyed, and temple unusable)

Centuries-old Memorial of a Ghosh-Dastidar Ancestor

A Ghosh Dastidar Family Shrine -- Puja Bari:

Ma Manasha (Goddess of Snake) Puja Festival Conducted by Ghosh-Dastidar family and Local Hindu Women

A Centuries-old Traditional Bengali Hindu Memorial of a Ghosh-Dastidar:

Gava, Home of 40 Generations of Bangladeshi Indigenous Ghosh-Dastidar Family

Pancha-Ratna Hindu Temple; the Tin-shed Mosque on Right built on the Hindu Temple Property

The Canal built in the Middle Ages by Ghosh-Dastidar Family

A Gava Ghosh-Dastidar Family with Guests

The Gava High School (1889), Alma Mater of many Noted Indians

Lohar Pool (Iron Bridge): A Famous Landmark of the 19Th Century

A Ghosh-Dastidar Family Memorial

A Gava Street Scene

A Bamboo Shanko (Foot Bridge)

Harvest of a Gava Family

A Gava, Barisal, Bangladesh, Harvest

A Home of a Hindu Family, now Refugee in India

The ancestral home of 40 generations of Ghosh-Dastidar Family of Bengal, Bangladesh and India.

A Family Chart of Ghosh & Ghosh-Dastidar of about 40 Generations in East Bengal/

Banglar BrahmanKayastha O GhoshDastidar Bangsha (Bengal's Bramin-Kayastha and Ghosh Dastidar Family) by SriDskshinaRanjan GhoshDastidar, printed by SriSudhanghuRanjan Sengupta, Truth Press, 3 Nandan Road, Bhabanipur; Baisakh 1351 (April-May 1945). Price only 2 takas.