This photograph shows the narrow passageway of a ‘floating hotel’ at the Shadarghat dockyard, Dhaka. A man locks the door of his room as he prepares to spend his vacation in his home district.
Discarded ships, floating on the Buriganga river, have been transformed into hotels with facilities left over from the Victorian era. The tenants or guests come from districts far away from the capital city of Dhaka. Most of them make a living as street vendors and hawkers.
This hotel can accommodate up to 50 people. Single rooms come complete with bed bugs. Luxury rooms are a bit more costly but are free of worries about getting bitten in your sleep. If you need to be more economical, a bunk in a dormitory is cheapest of all.
On the deck is the only toilet and a drum filled with plenty of water to freshen up with and drink. The hotel also provides a restaurant (no room service, of course). Amazingly, one can eat and sleep for just one dollar a day.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
