Bangladesh

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Classes

There are four classes of ticket on Bangladeshi boats: 1st, 2nd, inter and deck class. Deck class simply means a space on deck, for which you’ll need to bring your own bedding, mattress, food and water. Inter stands for intermediate, and gives you a berth in a cabin with 10 to 16 wooden-slat bunks. In deck class you may find your ability to sleep in cramped, noisy spaces stretched to the limit. Bedding is provided only in 1st class. It’s quite unusual for a foreigner to use either the intermediate or deck class.

On all craft with 1st-class tickets you must book in advance to be assured of a cabin. On popular routes, especially the Rocket route between Dhaka and Khulna, you may have to book a couple of weeks ahead during the dry season. If you’re catching a boat at one of the smaller stops, your reservation for a 1st-class cabin will have to be telegraphed to another office, and may take some time. Inter- and deck-class tickets can be bought on board, so there’s always a scramble for room.

If you haven’t managed to book a 1st-class cabin, it’s worth boarding anyway and buying a deck-class ticket, as you may be offered a crew member’s cabin. Renting a crew cabin is common and accepted practice, but it’s technically against the rules, so there’s scope for rip-offs. Don’t necessarily believe the crew member when they tell you that the fee you pay them is all that you will have to pay – you need to buy at least a deck-class ticket to get out of the ghat at the other end of the trip, and other hastily thought of hidden charges may crop up. Some travellers have even had these sorts of problems when renting the captain’s cabin.

It’s a hassle finding the ship assistant, but if you want to avoid the possibility of minor rip-offs, involve him in negotiations for a crew cabin. He is responsible for matters relating to passengers and accommodation.

If you travel deck or inter class (and having a crew berth counts as deck class), you can’t use the pleasant 1st-class deck, from where the best views are to be had. You might of course be able to sneak in, but don’t complain too loudly if you’re thrown out.

Prices are generally for 1st/2nd/deck class.

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Classes

Inter and deck classes are similar to those in ferries, and again, foreigners are highly unlikely to be sold tickets in either of these classes.

Rockets are not particularly glamorous by Mississippi paddle-wheel standards, but they do have paddle wheels. All have two levels. The front half of the upper deck of the old paddle-wheel steamer is reserved for 1st-class passengers, most of them, typically, Bangladeshis – this is not a tourist boat. There are eight cabins in this section – four doubles and four singles. Inside, floors are carpeted and each cabin has a washbasin and a narrow bunk bed or two with reasonably comfortable mattresses, freshly painted white walls, wood panelling and good lighting. Bathrooms with toilets and showers are shared. Bathrooms get progressively less clean as the trip goes on.

The central room has overhead fans, a long sofa and dining tables where meals are eaten. Meals are not included in ticket prices. There are both Bangladeshi and Western options, or you can go for a walk into the lower-class areas, where you can buy cheaper snacks.

The real highlight of 1st class, though, is the outside deck at the front of the boat, where you can sit while stewards serve tea and biscuits, and the Padma flows by.

Second class is at the back of the boat. Rooms are smaller than those in 1st class, and have no washbasin and no bed linen. There are small fans, though, and some chairs outside your door for scenery-gazing. If you are staying back here, it might be possible for you to dine in 1st class, for a fee, naturally.

In Dhaka tickets are available from the well-marked BIWTC office in the modern commercial district of Motijheel. Book your tickets in advance. The boat leaves from Sadarghat terminal on the Buriganga River and, on rare occasions, from Badam Tole, a boat terminal 1km north. When leaving from Khulna, you should be allowed to sleep the night before in your cabin as departure is at 3am. They move the boat to a different anchorage for the night, so get aboard early. Sometime after midnight the boat steams back to the loading dock.

Prices are generally for 1st/2nd/deck class.

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Classes

Intercity (IC) trains are frequent, relatively fast, clean and reasonably punctual, especially in the eastern zone. Fares in 1st class are fairly high (about a third more than an air-con chair coach), but in sulob (2nd class with reserved seating and better carriages than ordinary 2nd class) the fare is comparable to that in a non–air-con chair coach, and the trip is a lot more pleasant.

The carriages in 1st class, which have three seats across, facing each other and separated by a small table, initially seem little different from those in sulob, which have four seats across without tables. However, the difference is that there’s always room for just one more passenger in sulob, whereas in 1st class what you see is what you get. Some IC trains also have an air-con 1st class, which is well worth the extra money. Seats here are of the soft and comfortable variety and are similar to those found on trains in the West. This class is always very popular but seats are limited – it’s a good idea to reserve at least several days in advance to get a seat or berth in air-con 1st class, though a quiet word to the station master can often work wonders.

There are generally no buffet cars, but sandwiches, Indian snacks and drinks are available from attendants. If you’re lucky, these attendants will be sharply dressed waiters handing out dainty china cups of tea.

Second-class cars with unreserved seating are always an overcrowded mess and on mail trains (which do allow for some passenger cargo) your trip will be even slower than on an IC train. However, you may come out of the experience with a few good stories.

The only sleepers are on night trains, and the fare is about 40% more than 1st class.

On the poorly maintained local trains, 2nd class is crowded and uncomfortable, though remarkably cheap – less than a third the price of 1st class. Unreserved 2nd class has so many class categories and combinations above it (1st class, sulob, seating, sleeping, air-con, non–air-con) that it’s technically lower than 3rd class and it feels like it. On some trains there are only 2nd-class compartments.

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