The pleasure of knowing your neighbourhood

Safe, vibrant public spaces are so rare in Dhaka that the months from January to early March feel like a gift from the universe when the Bangla Academy comes alive with the Dhaka Lit Fest, followed by the Dhaka Art Summit and the February extravaganza of the Ekushey Boi Mela. Since 2020, the Gulshan Book Fair has added to the series of treats for those of us who crave creative festivals in this city.

I sit writing this article in front of another recent gift to book lovers -- the newly opened branch of the popular bookstore, Bookworm Bangladesh, which since February, resides inside the Shahabuddin Park in Gulshan 2. And I sit writing this in a hurry, because I'm about to head to Gulshan Society Lake Park just a two minutes' walk away, where the Gulshan Book Fair 3 is celebrating its last day of festivities for this year.

These initiatives are special because they bring a marked difference from having to sit indoors and pay for food and drinks if one wants some recreation.

Even with books and merchandise on sale, bookstores (in parks) and community book fairs allow for the rare pleasure of walking around in an open space, interacting with nature, taking your pets on walks, perusing through texts and artwork, whether you want to buy it or not.

Even more integral are the conversations. As a millennial, I've grown up listening to parents and aunts speak nostalgically about the heyday of community interaction in Dhaka -- when neighbours knew each other, frequently got together so that generations of families were friends.

Street festivals such as the "Gulshan Paara Utshab" and the Book Fair are finally showing us a glimpse of such community interaction, where families, their friends and their pets collectively help put together artwork, food stalls, workshops, and storytelling sessions.

There is something special about listening to stories of war veterans not in the formal setting of an auditorium, but under a banyan tree, surrounded by friends and family, with members of the audience quipping in with their own anecdotes. There's something really special about watching school children perform under that same tree while they wave to their grandparents and cousins, while their teachers cheer them on, again, in an informal setting.

The best part -- you never know who you might run into while they're on a jog, or just taking a stroll on the way home.

While book fairs and street festivals come alive during a specific time of the year, the recent opening up for public spaces to residents in the form of bookstores, cafes, weekend readings and runs -- however small an effort -- brings the promise of community interaction the year round. It works marvels on mental health after a tiring work day, on a weekend that ends up feeling invigorating, on a random week day when you're trying to recover from a tragedy or from mundane stress.

This isn't a Dhaka I have met in a long time. As a professional, one gets to meet people from across industries and social backgrounds, but such is life in Dhaka that we seldom know our neighbours. Efforts such as these helping my corner of this vast and overcrowded city feel more like home.

Every nook and cranny of Dhaka have stories waiting to be told. "My Dhaka" gives interested writers the platform to share experiences of city life. Only selected stories will make it to our print edition and digital platform. Send your Dhaka story (within 450 words) to raffat@thedailystar.net