FROM PATURIA ON WAY TO KOLKATA: The car rally delegates after entering Bangladesh through Bilonia border had started eating mouth watering delicious fish hilsha.

The Indian friends, who eagerly wait in Kolkata for long cherished hilsha consignment from Bangladesh, were showing unbounded love for the king of fish ‘hilsha’.

However, the vegetarian Bhutanese friends also fell in deep love with this tasty fish.

When I asked one Bhutanese at Sonargaon hotel lounge on Tuesday morning before the rally starts about his first love for the thing of this country, their answer was simple expressing unbounded and eternal love for delicious hilsha.

Taste of the fish has removed all pains of its bones.

Hilsha was served in all meals but its preparation at Feni circuit house was priceless and better than any five star hotels, opined all.

According to the riders, the reception, which they got from Bangladesh government after crossing Bilonia, was the best of their 19 days journey.

The Bhutanese team leader Thinley Wangchuk commented that they are highly pleased at the hospitality of the local people.

Sonam Tobgay opined that the local people are really wonderful and cordial and they know how to respect a foreigner.

While crossing ferry at Paturia ghat he did not forget to take snaps of hilsha fry in the canteen. Other two members of Bhutan are Namgay and Tshewang.

These skilled drivers of hilly regions have been driving on plain land for the last one week. They were telling the riders repeatedly that in the hilly roads they usually drive at a speed of 40 kms per hour.

However, it is risky to drive from 80 to 120 kms per hour in plain land. But the delicious hilsha have given them some respite and consolation to forget the scare.

BDST: 1550 HRS, DEC 01, 2015
Shahjahan/RR