In the darkness of the shine

[reverse_swing]

Inam Ahmed

The BMW SUV makes no jerks even on the potholed Dhaka streets. The silence of the interior, the cool of the air-conditioner and the richness of the woofers streaming Sagar Sen singing Tagore songs drape us with a feeling of assurance.

The dashboard panel shows a fascinating array of instruments--a large LCD screen constantly shows the mileage and a professional navigation system shows maps of cities. At Tejgaon, the roads are cluttered with walking women figures, returning home after their shifts at garment factories. The man behind the steering wheel himself owns several garment factories in Dhaka City. He talks of his next venture in a composite textile mill.

Inside one of these 'garment' women's 'home', Farida cooks. A 10 feet by 12 feet room that she shares with three other women in the semi-slum area of West Raza Bazar. In one corner some gaudy, cheap clothes dangle from two wooden hangers. Some low-priced ladies shoes with heels line up under the beds, a shelf holds a small mirror, some lipsticks, a Fair and Lovely cream, a Meril powder, hair clips and combs, and a framed photograph taken in a studio where Farida is seen in a sari.

"I want to buy a cassette player soon," she says with a smile.

From the BMW owner to Farida, everybody is pursuing a dream; a dream for upward mobility.

more from DailyStar >>

Edited on, February 18, 2006, 7:29 PM GMT, by reverse_swing.