Happy Graduation Anna!!

The 150 Million People Of Bangladesh say...

CONGRATULATIONS ANNA!!!

Here is a random sample....





The men from the paper shop at New Market...




...and the street kids near the bookshops....








and the salwar kameeze models...






...and the block printing man upstairs...







...the plastic flower boy...








and the new market crowds say...

Obhinondon Anna! (especially that boy waving excitedly in the background)...

...and some people say 'Congratulations for what??'
'Being so clever', I reply.... 'and writing a great PhD'...
'Oh, I see', they reply (with newfound respect for my dodgy sign-writing)...



In the veggie market, the aloo man is very pleased to say...


The pann man too, (with a mouthful of betel leaf) says...








Down a Saddarghat, Old Dhaka, on a rickety old boat, we call out to the anarosh men, who shout back...
(Amy, too, says...)






Our boat wallah, between oar strokes, says...
and my sundor sobuj chadda (that's pretty green umbrella to you!) thinks...


















Down the river, at the Pink Palace, the cool boys on the steps call...






...and the hoads of people crowd around to say...
Is the little girl reading the English or the Bangla, I wonder? But she too, says...











The boy on the end asks 'What is an Anna?' But then he says...






Everyone wants a bit of the sign, so that they, too can say...







This guy wants to know all about you (you know, the usuals... your name and marital status) before HE says....



...and finally, after a meal of phuska by the lake surrounded by almost-touching couples, at Ramna park, the flowers say...

Congratulations - Obhinodon - Anna!

Happy Graduation Dr Anna!

...but one 'specially important person says congratulations...
a particular chotto bon...
ME!

Have a lovely, happy, squishy-hat-wearing, celebratory graduation day anna-p!

I wish I could be there!!!
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