Traditional Breakfast

Episode 4

Shariq Ali
VALUEVERSITY

After meeting my friends in the hotel lobby, I was quite exhausted by the time I returned to my room. A long shower provided some freshness, and I began to feel quite hungry. I didn’t have the energy to go down to the dining hall, so I ordered food through room service and started eating while watching local news in English on the TV. Local news reveals a lot of secrets about any country, and since I had an old acquaintance with Bangladesh, I found many interesting things. This country lies below sea level and is often struck by floods. Bangladesh is incredibly green and lush, and its dense forests are still home to leopards and Bengal tigers.

Although many people from Pakistan and India work abroad, Bangladesh might surpass all neighboring countries in this regard. Dhaka is the most densely populated city in the world, where a population equal to a village lives on one street. In terms of living conditions, it may be one of the most underdeveloped cities globally. Poverty is at its peak, but in recent years, the country has made remarkable progress, and poverty is rapidly declining.

After listening to the news and finishing my meal, I took out a book from my luggage and fell asleep while reading it. I woke up around eight in the morning. After completing my morning routine, I packed my belongings and left the bag ready for travel in the room. When I reached the dining hall, the gathering of friends was in full swing. Tom, Richard, and Ruth were already present at the breakfast table. Apoko and I entered the hall almost simultaneously and joined the breakfast and conversation.

There were two options for breakfast: English breakfast or traditional Bengali breakfast. We all opted for the traditional Bengali breakfast. It included paratha, well-cooked vegetables of potato, peas, and spinach, a small bowl of lentils, a fried egg, toast, butter, tea, and a little sweet yogurt.

Immediately after breakfast, we had to check out of the hotel at 9:30 AM and then depart by road for the town of Srimangal, located near Sylhet, which is famous for its tea gardens. The Burns Regional Conference was being held there. During breakfast, the director of Acid Survivors Foundation, Munira Rahman, and a representative from Smile Train, a local plastic surgeon Dr. Ayub Ali, joined us. After brief greetings, breakfast continued.

Both of these organizations were co-organizing the conference with Interburns. All the local arrangements were handled by Munira Rahman and her team, who had been staying in Srimangal for three days already. During breakfast, Munira gave us a detailed briefing about the local arrangements and the delegates. I learned that I had invited an assistant professor from Liaquat Medical College in Pakistan with Interburns funding, and he had arrived with his wife. From the USA, Michael Peck, from Canada, Bo Ali, and from Kandahar province in Afghanistan, burns surgeon Dr. Ghaffar and his chief technician had also reached Srimangal … to be continued