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Bangladesh: Moving to Dhaka:
Sorry I can't solve you problem but maybe I can help your thinking about it.
Firstly: What do you mean by "middle class"? In the UK a middle class existence would be called upper class in Dhaka. This is due to many factors, including education, lifestyle, and job.
What kind of a job are you anticipating having?
Middle class can range from 30,000 taka per month to 100,000 per month, depending on your expenses, location, schooling and personal needs, etc.
I assume you are looking for English Medium schools here. There are 3 main categories:
1) Quality "local"
2) Quality "International"
3) Exclusive "International"
Category 1 is the cheapest, maybe Tk. 35,000-50,000 a year. Notable schools include: Scholastica, Sunbeams, Sir John Wilson, Red Brick.
Category 2 is where many foreign kids go. Their costs range from $5,000-$7,000 (USD). These include: Australian, Grace, Singapore, Canadian, French.
Category 3 is the most expensive, starting at $10,000 (USD) and up. These are: American School and the International School (ISD).
As for reputable builders, there are many. Best would be to move here and rent until you can find a place. You can either buy from a pre-built or invest in a project. Again, until you are actually here, it is hard to judge.
I hope this helps a bit.
Best
Bangladesh: vet care in Bangladesh:
Unfortunately, there are no animal hospitals here so the chances of x-rays or surgery being available is slim.
However, there are a few vets in the Gulshan area who can provide general health care, vaccinations, and medications including "the spot."
Bangladesh: Taking pets to Dhaka:
1) Yes you can easily have dogs here, especially small ones, although not all landlords allow it. There is no New York-style hiding of the pet until it becomes a fait accompli. If the landlord doesn't allow pets and they find out you have them, you can get thrown out. So always be up front that you have pets.
There is a vet in Gulshan, and basic care and "the spot" are available.
You most likely won't be walking the dogs; often your house help will do that. Often you see dogs getting walked around Gulshan.
Dog food is available but not a wide selection. You may find it preferable to supplement with more natural foods like real meat.
2) Sorry can't help you with this since I live here full time, and get paid in local takas. I think some people tend to carry out the limit in cash. The transfer of money here is done via the central bank and requires long processing and "lubrication. Avoidance of this hassle is an issue. But again I don't know how others do it.
3) Internet is widely available. "High Speed" is also available here but it is only high relatively speaking. I have a lighting fast internet connection and its probably only somewhat faster than 56K. But there are lots of choices so if one company doesn't work out you can try another. I am using wireless inside my home, with a LAN connection.
Part of Bangladesh's internet problem is that it only recently got connected to the SEA-ME-WE submarine cable and that is only via one connection for the entire country. It is often down for various reasons and the infrastructure connecting it can't carry the necessary bandwidth yet. We'll see if this is improved in the next few years.
4) Mobile use is cheap and omnipresent here. Even rickshaw drivers have mobiles, and that's not a facile exaggeration. Grameen Phone (the top company here) has recently introduced blackberry and I know several people who are using it.
Bangladesh: Is it safe for American to move to Dhaka:
Yes, absolutely! Aside from its noisy craziness, it is a modern city with its own activities, museums, restaurants, etc (although its technically dry).
There is a social club for American Women in Bangladesh called the Dhaka American Women's Club (DAWC). Google them and you'll get their website. They have an active community there and can help out with a lot of questions.
Yes, it is a conservative society so wearing spaghetti strap shirts and mini skirts is off the list (unless you're one of the devil-may-care teenagers of the American School). But no need for burkhas, either! Best seems to be a balance between the shalwar kameez or pants and a shirt.
That being said, be prepared in general to be stared at like you are Angelina Joli. In Bangladesh staring is not considered rude and - being a metropolis filled with recent arrivals from the village - they don't see a lot of white people on the streets. So you'll be celebrity #1 at all times. Its not negative or aggressive, just annoying.
The flip side is how friendly people are. Hospitality is one thing lost in modern western culture. Bangladeshis will truly give you their last morsel of food if you come to visit.
Good luck!
Bangladesh: Help please:
Wow I have never heard such bizarre description of Bangladesh in all my life. I am a foreigner married to a Bangladeshi and have been living here for 5 years.
Dhaka is not a festering hole of all things bad and evil. It is a big, dirty, noisy, congested city. But the people are amazingly friendly, especially to foreigners.
1) the majority of Bangladeshi Muslims are Sunni, not Shia. I think what bjbayer meant was Shari'a law. Yes, it is certainly true that under Muslim law the man is given custody of children unless he waives that right.
Divorces fall under Muslim law unless she can perhaps prove he has converted (Baptism certificate, etc).
She should seek legal assistance within the country and that is good that bjbayer has a contact already. The Embassies don't give recommendations. They may be able to intervene but they won't want to. Legal counsel both in Bangladesh and Europe would be advisable.
2) If the man has converted he is certainly not likely to be killed! (For goodness sakes what country are they talking about?) However his conversion is not likely to be accepted by his family and he will probably face a lot of pressure to deny the conversion.
Like all of humanity, some people can be cruel or deceitful. But believe me in no other place in the world have I seen such hospitality towards visitors, and especially white foreigners.
I know a lot of foreigners married to Bangladeshis and I have seen the spectrum of good marriages and bad, just like over the world. If your daughter is in a abusive relationship with this man then she would be in a bad situation whether she is in Dhaka or Europe.
As for the wild speculations of your daughter or grandchildren disappearing into a black hole believe me that will not happen. This is not "Not Without My Daughter" and this is not the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Bangladesh: Welcome - Please Read!:
Grace is a very good school, and close to your work. There are many good places, all with security. The main thing is finding a place with a generator, because of all the load shedding.
Best to settle into a guest house for the first few weeks and look around. The TO LET notices are posted on the apartments. Moving day is usually the first of the month. Another good place for listings is at the expat clubs. There are no apt listings in the newspapers.
No, public transport is not very good, though it depends on where you need to travel. If you can afford a car, it is highly recommended. (Be sure to factor in having a driver, too.) You can get used cars here. Best to go for Toyotas or Nissans, as they are ubiquitous and all mechanics know how to work on them.
Grace Int'l has its own school buses within Gulshan/Banani.
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