I think I've said before that some of my most insteresting conversations have been with rickshaw wallahs and CNG drivers. Today I had such a great talk with this driver, Mr. Abul Syed. By some twist of fate, I had paper and a pen with me, and I was able to write down some of his comments. For those who don't know, CNG drivers are just above rickshaw pullers on the caste system, and they usually don't have much education. This man, however, made some very profound and poignant statments. For example, he said that Bangaldesh is a Muslim country (he is also a Muslim), and because of that, many men believe that they should keep their wives locked up and not allow them to work. But, he said, that's slowly changing, and that's a good thing. People are becoming educated. After months of hearing the religious freaks talk about "purdah", I was overjoyed to hear this man's voice of reason. What a great moment!