Dhaka Sunday February 14, 2010

Signs of Love

On February 14, Valentine's Day, people the world over celebrate love and affection, particularly for their romantic partners. Originally a Christian religious holiday, Valentine's Day took on its secular and romantic meaning during the poet Chaucer's time. Cupid, the Roman god of love, is the special icon of Valentine's Day as lovers ask him to cast his special arrow at their loved ones.
Bangladesh is a relatively conservative country. Unlike more liberal countries, people here do not like to show their romantic feelings in public. Does that mean they love any less than people elsewhere? Of course not. They just have different ways of showing it. Here are some signs of love in Dhaka.

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Photo : Ihtisham Kabir

Enjoying the scenery at Lalbagh.

Saying it with flowers near Dhaka University.	Romancing among the ruins at Badda.	Marrying a childhood sweetheart in Mohammedpur.

Casting a look of love in Notun Bazar.	Sending a bold message from Shakhari Bazar.

Playing Cupid near Aga Sadek Lane.

Acting with tenderness at Kamalapur.

Biography Ihtisham Kabir is an amateur photographer who has photographed Bangladesh since 1984. He writes the weblog Back to Bangladesh (backtobangladesh.blogspot.com) and authors a daily photo-blog on Bangladesh (www.bangladeshimages.com). His Web Exhibition, “Discovering the Children of Bangladesh,” was recognized as one of the Web's ten best photo sites in 1996. In professional life, he worked over two decades as a software engineer in Silicon Valley, authoring several patents and a technical book on computer imaging. Recently he has taken up the role of rubber planter. Readers can contact him at ihtishamkabir@yahoo.com.