Many times, a Bangladeshi would ask me, "How do you find Bangladesh". I would always say, "Bhalo". "Do you like Bangladesh?" and other similar questions of asking my impression of how I find the country and its people.

If there is something that impresses me about this country and its people, I could say their intense passion to political concerns amazes me.

Calls for the reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC), resignation of the President and Chief Adviser (CA) to the Caretaker Government, blocking road exit and entrance points has gripped the nation over the past few weeks. And now the proposal of Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus for a coalition government between Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Awami League hangs in mid air as to whether the strongly opposing parties will forget their differences that easy and tie the knot.

At this very moment where political crisis is felt all over the nation, people -- from the street vendor to the lawmaker in Parliament -- express their involvement on how they see the country should be run. I find this positive as it manifests a politically active people who are concerned on what kind of government they want.

While it appears that the people are oppressed from a repressive government, vivid indications show that the people are not taking it sitting down. And this is healthy. What is unhealthy is when people accept whatever the government is doing and not do anything because of fear or apathy.

Events the past few weeks if not months had been notoriously yet momentously bloody though which led to loss of many lives. The sacrifice is too high which warrants a high regard for those who lost their lives and shattered their families' hearts as well. It calls for government look at these incidents and place the reforms where it is necessary for the sake of what both political parties are fighting for: the public good.

Call for reforms over the past months to cite demands of garment workers, Phulbari residents against the Asia energy coal mine, and now issues surrounding the caretaker government and the Election Commission had been a violent and sacrificial way to show the government that the people are serious in what they want government to do. Seemingly, the government could only notice what is wrong when the way how it is shown is violent and bloody. This, definitely is not healthy.

In the same manner, what is not healthy is when differences are settled over violence and bloodshed and opposing parties are not able to talk on the negotiation table.

Once a Bangladeshi friend told me, "Bangladeshis are easily influenced". If this is true, then leaders, political leaders most especially, have to exercise their most rational, pro-people and objective decision in influencing the majority.

Friendly
Another thing I consider "bhalo" is the friendliness and hospitality of the people, especially in the countryside. I first visited the field office in Kakonhat where I serve as Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO) volunteer for Adivasi Unnayan Songstha. From the bus, I got down to look for a Grameen card to phone a friend to fetch me as I don't know where the office is. I found no card in the first shop I entered. A guy who must have heard me looking for a phone card accompanied me to another shop. The shops ran out of Grameen cards so I ended up in a garments shop where the shopkeeper offered me his cellphone so I could call. Isn't that cute? Of course, the call was not for free. Thing is, somebody I don't know offered me his cellphone and I was able to call.

People are cordial most of the time and ask what country I come from to queries if am married or not, to invitations for dinner at their house. Tea is always ready and servings of food are heaped on your plate. You have to say "enough" if the serving is much, thank you.

During my initial stay here, I was also warned of being careful of mugging and robbing and things like that. But I guess I must be lucky as I have never been a victim of these offences in my whole life. (I guess I don't look like someone who has wealth to be robbed in the very first place.) And this includes my stay here in Bangladesh. I guess I am always though, even in occasions as taking chances of traveling at 11pm in the night. And it pays to think good of everybody, (yet have that sixth sense of being cautious at the same time). While you gain friends, you also get your way.

Simple
Life here is simple with nothing much to spend on unless you are a clothes freak, you could spend your money that fast on futwa, kameeze and urna. Food is cheap and you don't have to eat fried chicken every meal in the first place. Alcohol is socially restricted which makes drinking and the night life impossible unless you sneak off rice wine of Adivasis who use this for their cultural rites. I could live comfortably enough and buy what I basically need with a Volunteer's allowance. From this amount, I could still save some taka for a vacation in the Sundarbans.

While I talk of having a vacation, life is not that simple among majority of the 140 million population of this country. Life is sheer poverty, devoid of access to resources and alternative employment. From the slum dwellers in the cities of Dhaka who beg for food in the streets, to the Adivasis in the countryside who receive at least 50 taka a day for farm work, majority of the population fall below the poverty level.

Among the Adivasi families in the northwest, almost 90 percent are landless and serve as farm labourers to rich land owners who live in the city. Most of them have lived their lives this way, have not earned education due to sheer poverty and life gets stuck this way until reforms in the economic and political system will haul them out from this life of illiteracy and impoverishment.

The disparity to women is something I consider very acutely displayed. I guess this has something to do with the culture of the country. I noticed some women are empowered enough to state their cause. With more education and women coming together to identify their concerns, women empowerment is not that far.

Potential
What I definitely like is the quality of shoes and sandals that shoemakers here make. I recently went to a shoe shop to change my international-made sandal which weathered off after two months-use. The shopkeeper encouraged me to buy a foreign-made sandal. I was amused. I told him, I am looking for a Bangladesh-made sandal. He said, "No, foreign made better". I said, "No, Bangladeshi sandal bhalo". He smiled.

Bangladesh has a rich potential. It has a thriving garment industry. It has a potential shoe making industry. It has an economic micro-credit formula which is hailed throughout the world, a rich source of manpower, a rich history and culture, and a passionate people who can chart their own destiny.

With the above potential, Bangladesh which is one of the most corrupt countries of the world will not stay that long. If, it will be powered with an economic and political system which is pro-people along with a relevant cultural perspective among its own people. With the infuse of knowledge and skills from residents and foreigners as well, I could come to Bangladesh again and again.

People ask me, "how long have I stayed here", "how long will I stay". I always answer, "maybe six months, maybe one year, maybe until December, I think until March." I never had a definite answer to this question. While I write this piece, the weather is thaaaaaaanda here in Rajshahi.

Gina Dizon is a Volunteer, Adivasi Unnayan Songstha, Ranidighi, Rajshahi