The need to connect

Where there are lots of people, there is lots of traffic. This is certainly true in Dhaka.
Bangladeshi's are very community oriented and they stay close to their communities even when they are away. This means a lot of travelling and a lot of communicating.
The travelling is problematic because moving a large number of people requires a large number of vehicles (even if they are overloaded buses) and a large amount of oil.
The communications can relieve this a bit, as this is becoming easier and cheaper over time, and can partially substitute for the travelling
I was going to devote this blog to Cables & Communication, but that looked like it was heading for negative territory, and I don't want to go there!
2 technologies that are really in your face when you get here are Mobile Phones and the Internet.

1. Everybody has a mobile phone (even some of the beggars - we can go there another time). Every body has someone they want to talk to. Wherever you go in the country, there are phone towers and covering the country with mobile phone coverage was easier than wiring everyone.
2. The streets are lined with unbelievable amounts of data cables. Many are probably unused as re running cables is easier than fault finding, but the sheer amount of cables is staggering. Cables sag, some run along the ground, some are cut by competing ISPs. The whole situation is surreal. While Australia stuffs about deliberating how we are going to wire the country for broadband, here people just string up cables on any available pole, building, tree, whatever. Visually it can be very oppressive, but mostly, it works.
   

Bangladesh, like many not yet developed countries, are using modern technologies to try and move themselves forward. This is commendable, but many influences also tend to hold them back. This where so much effort needs to be expended by people who are working here, to achieve small incremental change
There are huge opportunities for using this technology, but supporting changes need to be made to make this happen - eg.

1. Going to Bangladesh, I booked the Airline Tickets online, quoted my Visa card number and it was done. Time - 10 minutes, Addition to traffic congestion - Nil, Oil usage - nil
2. Going to Nepal, it took all morning to c0llect the cash from the bank, go to the travel agents office, pay the money, get a receipt, the ticket details could not be confirmed because the electricity was out and the Travel agent had to deliver the tickets to our office. Time - most of a day, Add'n to traffic congestion - 2 cars for 2 hours, Oil - about 5 litres of diesel

If any country can stand to save on traffic congestion and fuel imports, it is Bangladesh,
The idea of using a Credit card either online or over the phone is a totally foreign concept.
While the technology exists, the social context is lagging.

A hierarchical society that values age and status does not cope well with disruptive technologies in a changing world.
In Computing for example, knowing your stuff is more important than seniority, family connections and social standing (qualities near and dear to a Bangla's heart).
It took Australians over 30 years to come to terms with this (and some are still fighting it)

In my work with our NGO, the social very often overshadows the technical. We are guests here and our main frustration is often to see a solution, that is "obvious' to us, but is not appropriate or even sensible, to those whom we serve.

C'est la vie