Humayun and I arrived in Sremongal and were reunited with the others. After dinner, the gravity meter that Céline will use for measurements here after we leave finally arrived, making Céline very happy. It had been stuck in customs getting clearance for days as she impatiently waited for it to arrive. As time was growing short, Céline suggested that we should split into two installation teams and each do one of the far northern sites. Alissa, Humayun, Sanju and I went to BN05 while Celine, Nano, Paul and Karim went to BN04. Both are
2-3 hours away, but potentially longer if the roads are bad. Traveling through extensive fields of rice, the road was surprisingly good for someplace so remote and easily flooded. As was often the case, the scouted site was not good, so we called the chairman. While he wasn’t home, his brother was and after a long conversation with Humayun, offered his family’s home. It was large enough that there were several options, but one was clearly better than the others and we installed one of our smaller waterproof seismometers, just in
case of flooding. We were now experienced and completed it in less than 2 hours. More tea and photos and we were on the long road back. Céline’s team was also successful; two sites in one day put us back on track.
We again split the next day, with Céline, Alissa, Humayun and myself going to install B9, while the others went to look at the geology in the hills farther east. along the way they also stopped off at a tea garden to scout BN01. B9, officially BA09, had already been scouted, so we
quickly installed and took pictures with the family. After that was done, we went to service some stations, collecting the few days of data to make sure everything was working well and analyze the noise levels at the sites. We stopped at B10, where the owner treated us to his boroi, small apple-like fruits. Then we went to B8 located at a manager’s house in a tea garden. We wanted to do B7 as well, but they had important guests visiting and did not want us to come by today.
The next day was our last installation in this region, the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. We again split into teams for the final installation, for doing field geology, and for servicing. Karim and I did the service runs. We did B3, outside a private home, then B2 in a tea garden manager house. We only saw the 6 servants that maintained the property. As we left, Karim pointed out that he thought two of them were transgender. Next was the long hard drive to B1. As we came close we called the manager to
ask about sending his jeep to drive the last stretch of road. However he had guests, so we had to walk the last mile to the tea garden. Along the way, we passed crews fixing the road. This time, we were invited to join his guests for tea and cookies in the gazebo when we finished. It was very welcome after the long walk in the hot sun. While we were having tea, our driver showed up. They had finished fixing the road sufficiently for our van to come up. The next people to visit for servicing will appreciate that. We ended the day servicing BN03 as B4 was also
having important visitors at the tea garden. We got back before the others and then went for a final dinner together.
The next morning, Humayun, Alissa and I headed to DUET in Gazipur, where we started this trip. We met Jim’s team and put all the empty boxes into storage. Then we dropped Jim and Alissa at the airport, while Chris and I dove into Dhaka. My first time here this trip. We have the final station to install in the morning and then we fly out the next
day. Nano and Paul and Sanju will do geology for a few more days then meet us in Dhaka. Nano flies out with us, Paul heads to India the next day. Céline will continue to stay in Srimongal doing a gravity survey with Karim for the next week.
The last station is south of Dhaka between the Dhaleshwari River and the Padma, the combined Ganges and Brahmaputra. It is at a health service complex. We met and had tea, then
looked around the grounds for a good site. The first were vetoed as not secure. Too many drug addicts near the clinic. Finally we found a good spot in the open near some people’s homes, including the night security guard. It went quickly and in the middle they climbed a tree and got us some fresh green coconuts. Coconut water is very refreshing on a hot day. We finished, but not earliy enough to visit the Padma. We still had to store the remaining equipment at Dhaka University. It has been a very successful
trip. As is my experience here, people find a way to get done what needs to be done. It is a country that is resilient out of necessity. We have installed 6 GPS, 28 seismometers, Céline is getting gravity measurements that have help up a project, and Paul has at least one good geological transect across an anticline with a few more days of work. Some of us have been working together for years, but others are new to our group and Bangladesh. Over 3 weeks in the field together will help change us into a team.
