Malda Training Diary - Administrative Training Institute

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ferry at 8 a.m. at Nagarbari Ghat otherwise we would be delayed a lot. This is 20 miles from
Pabna. From the Aricha Ghat (where we would land) Dacca is 55 miles.
At the CH we met Amjad Hossain, MPA, who wanted to accompany us to Dacca. We agreed
as the company of a local man was most useful.
17.3.1972
Work done
Visit to Dacca
Information
We set out by 3.30 a.m. and stopped for a quick breakfast of hot puris, curry & sweets at
Pabna & reached Nagarbari at about 6.45 a.m. to find a massive queue of relief trucks and
private cars which were there since last night as there had been a big quarrel over letting
Indian relief trucks get priority, leading to stopping of the ferry. We were lucky to get on the
ferry (called Faridpur) along with 8 cars & 6 trucks. The ferry took about an hour. Total lack
of any management at both ferries was cause of much confusion. The journey over sailingboats
dotted river Jamuna was delightful & the breeze carried away all the tiredness.
We reached Dacca around 1.30 p.m. driving straight to the Indira-Mujib meeting venue,
already full of people. Then we went to the MPA Hostel, where Amjad kindly gave us his
room & shifted to share Sankar Gobinda Choudhuri’s room. We dropped Amjad at the
meeting & finding New Market shut, as Mujib’s birthday is a national holiday, proceeded to
the District Judge’s brother’s house (which our driver knew) & found his wife & son there &
they took us to his house (a rented one, as the official residence is still occupied by the
previous incumbent). He most kindly accompanied us & showed us the High Court, Ramna
(where the Kali temple & adjacent masjid have both been completely destroyed—not a stone
remains), Shahid Pillars (also destroyed). Then we went to see the “Buri Ganga” by
Nababpur Road. Just the contrast between Old & New Delhi! And what a rash of rickshaws,
totally fearless & lawless! DJ told us here once rickshaw had bumped against his car &
promptly demanded Rs.5/- compensation, which he paid! We got held up in the jam of people
returning from the meeting. DJ said he had never seen such a crowd in Dacca. From
Maranchand’s shop he bought us curd 2 seers & Pranhara sandesh 1 seer (Mrs. Gandhi was
given this sandesh). We saw the teeming steamer terminal & tried to do some shopping.
Found nothing to our taste. The DJ explained that at present stocks were practically nil &
hence prices had shot up. Earlier Karachi nylons were sold for Rs.15/- to 20/-, stainless steel
was very cheap too, but none available now. M.S.Bhattacharyya bought a Chinese wristwatch
steel band, and an English make-up face powder for his wife. Rest of us bought the daily
Ittefaq. Then we went to Kamalbari Rly. station, a soaring architectural beauty, open on all
sides & so lovely that it has become an evening promenade place! Here on 25 th March army
machine-gunned everyone present & rivers of blood flowed on the platforms. The station is
not yet finished. The DJ pressed us to come after a year & see how prosperous Bangladesh
would then be. Even this year they are exporting Rs. 22 crores of jute & much fish.
The DJ told us how Marwaris were black-marketing fuel, by diverting illegally part of the
consignment sent to Bangla Desh. He also lamented the bad advisors of the Sheikh who had
printed his photograph on currency notes. All the present MCAs need to be scrapped, he said.
The 2 nd Capital the Paks were building near the city is again strikingly modern architecture.
At the nearby Sabhar region where Pak army was stationed we saw huge bomb craters.
18.3.1972
Work done
Return to Malda
Information
Left at 5 a.m., stopped at Pabna for lunch at Pabna Boarding. The Hilsa & Rohi were not as
tasty as our own. Fish is Rs. 3/- a seer. I bought 2 saris for Rs. 25/- and Rs. 30/- and an atlas