Sylhet

The Calm Beauty of Sylhet

When I visited Sylhet first time, everything felt slow and quiet. It's not like Dhaka where everything always rush. The place looked small but so peaceful. The air was soft and cool, and I could smell the wet leaves and soil. When the bus was going through the hill road, I saw tea gardens both sides. Some women were working with baskets on their back, picking leaves slowly. I stopped near one small tea stall. A man gave me tea in a clay cup. The tea was sweet and hot, and he smiled kindly though I didn't understand what he said in Sylheti. I just stood there, looking at fog over the green field. It felt like time not moving, only silence and peace around.

Later I went to Jaflong. The road was going up and down between the hills. When I reached there, the river was shining in the sun. The water was so clean I could see the stones under it, colorful ones. Some kids were swimming and laughing. Fishermen fixing nets in small boats. On the other side, the big hills from Meghalaya looked like a painting, half covered by clouds. I sat on a rock for long time, didn't talk to anyone. The only sound was water touching the stones. After that I went to Ratargul Swamp Forest in a wooden boat. The water was green and trees were growing inside it. When the boat moved slowly, small waves made round shapes. Everything there was quiet and fresh, almost unreal.

What I liked most in Sylhet was people. Everyone spoke softly and smiled easy. If I asked for something, they tried to help with respect. In evening, fog came down from the hill, and lights from houses looked yellow through the mist. I sat again near road and drank tea, watching everything slowly fade. No car horn, no rush, just cool air and calm feeling. Sylhet felt like home to me, even though it's far from home. If anyone want to see real peaceful side of Bangladesh, they should visit Sylhet once in life.

Scenes from Sylhet

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