My garments workers research is coming to an end and the writing process looms ahead, but one more exciting field visit was to Chawk Bazar or the wholesale market of Dhaka. It is from this market that most of the shops and market vendors around Dhaka and indeed the entire country get their merchandise. Located right in the centre of old Dhaka, it took my research assistant and I a fair amount of persuading to convince a CNG driver to brave the traffic of the narrow streets and take us to our location.
We eventually managed although we had to pay a rather heafty price for the privledge. 15 minutes later we wrrived right in the middle which can only be described as shoppers chaos. I gazed around in horrified amazment as we debated on where to begin our interviews. Through the course of the next 3 hourswe talked to hair accessory suppliers, cosmetic suppliers, toy suppliers, as well as a number of randomly stocked shops. Peoples curiousity and unease at the same time, was something I had expereinced before, but here it seems to be magnified 4 fold. At one of the toy shops I got a very evil look from the owner when I placed my knee on the ledge in order to lean on it. Not only was I a white woman interviewing him, but I had the audacity to show my ankle to him!!
One interesting part of the afternoon was the final shop which we visited which was a dye coloyr shop for garments. There was jar upon jar of chemical dyes to supply all the garment factories demands. The brothers who ran the shop said that their father had changed to this business as he saw the nature of industry changing in Bangladesh.
Exhausted and feeling like I never wanted to be looked at again, we left the mahem of Chawk Bajar. I am apprehensive to call it a successful afternoon, but I did find it very eye-opening indeed.
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