On the Streets of Dhaka

Dhaka is a congested, polluted and chaotic maze of streets filled with colorful vehicles, rickshaws, animals and humans all trying to avoid each other and make it through this urban labyrinth. The city is a mind blowing experience that has earned it the title of Asia's Chaos Capital. The city itself is built to sustain a population of 2 million, but somehow 20 million people reside in and around Dhaka. 

Most of the vehicles in Dhaka communicate by honking, so there is a constant buzz of horns, gridlocked traffic and frustrated drivers on the road at all hours of the day. 

 The side streets are always filled with rickshaws, animals, humans and CNG's or tuk-tuks all trying to navigate their way through the streets.

While walking through Dhaka's largest slum (which is located across a lake facing one of Dhaka's most expensive neighborhoods) I found this curious girl poking her head out of her family's corrugated metal shack. 

Cops on duty, working hard. Papers and guns.

A typical scene in Bangladesh. I walked through this door, took a few photos, turned around 2 minutes later to this crowd watching my every move with keen interest.

Walking around the slums.

On the roof of an unfinished building in Old Dhaka. It was barely 8 in the morning and the streets were teeming with activity and the temperature was already 33.

CHAOS

Many structures in the city such as the one in focus (as well as the one I am standing on) remain incomplete.  

Meat District

Part of the traffic police. Im not sure that a paper thin mask is helping to prevent any of the toxic fumes that are inhaled in a 10 hour shift on the congested streets, but with little to no budget provided from the government, you have to do the best you can with the resources at hand.

Local Hustla

The Mosque (still being built)

Deep in the heart of Dhaka's biggest slum, I found myself at a dead end. Before I could think, I was invited into the home of a family.

The owner of the home explained to me that this toilet is used by multiple families that live in the slum. There was little to no smell and zero flies. Again, making use of the resources at hand, which the Bangladeshi people seem to have mastered.