Feature

Crossing the dangerous Padma

Salman Saeed

After Crossing Bangla Channel from Teknaf to Saint Martin I was looking for a different sort of adventure. So I proposed to Dhakabasecamp that we have already crossed the Bay of Bengal, now let's try the three major rivers of Bangladesh Padma, Megna and Jammuna.

Dhakabase camp accepted my proposal and started to practice for the next swimming expedition. This time the three main swimmers of Dhakabasecamp Lipton Shakar ,Fazlul Kabir Sina and myself Salman Saeed planned to cross the river Padma on the 19th of May 2006.On the 18th May three of us and Kamal Anwar Babu our Videographer went to survey the swimming route. We also talked with the local fishermen of that locality. The route was decided and we were going to swim from Maowa.The starting point will be 2km from the Mawoa Fery ghat. This place is called Joshilda. From there we booked the boats and took some photographs. We had hired three boats-one engine boat and two rowboats. The engine boat was used for navigation and the rowboats were to go along with swimmers. Before we got on the boat we offered a prayer to the almighty Allah. Then we boarded the boats and went towards the starting point. At 10:00 we jumped into the water for the long swim. In the beginning we were five swimmers but as we kept going two of the swimmers gave up and got on the boat. They were both new in this team but Lipton, Sina and Salman went on till the end. Swimming in the river was not so difficult as it was in the sea but still we had to fight the current of the Padma. It seems that Padma does not want us to cross her so easily. I was feeling very nice while swimming, every stroke reminded me of the Bangla channel. At times I was singing and swimming as I was really feeling great. It was a bright day and swimming of the three members went on smoothly. Though in the middle we had to cross a 'chor' where swimming was a bit difficult. But some how we managed to cross that 'char' and nearly came close to the other side of the river. Swimming on this side was quite easy because we were swimming with the current but in this region there were too many boats moving which was very dangerous for swimming. At one time when Lipton and Sina bhai was way ahead of me I was all alone swimming by myself, there was a ferry coming towards me and I was nervous. Fortunately nothing serious happened, instead the passengers on that ferry were cheering us that gave me a lot of power to complete my swim. Then by 12:15 Lipton and Sina bhai finished the swim while I was the last person to land on the bank 5 minutes after them. Then once I joined them on the bank the celebration stated. First of all we were taking our victory photographs then we hugged each other and then put mud on each others face.Then at 1:00 pm we left Shibchor ghat for Mawoa ghat by boat. This time the engine boat was leading the two other boats. When we reached Mawoa ghat at 1:30 we cleared the sailors' payment and had our lunch at the ghat restaurant .We had our lunch with the famous “Padma's Hilsha Fish”. Then at 3:00 we got on the bus for Dhaka. On the bus I went to sleep cause I was so tired after the long 6km swimming. When I woke up I was at Gulisthan bus stand .

(Salman Saeed is a student of IUB)

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