Barishal, nestled deep in Bangladesh’s delta, sits amongst a network of canals and rivers seeping into the Bay of Bengal. To the north lies Dhaka, the world’s second most populous city, reached overnight by ferries along the internal waterways.
Used for commerce and transportation the rivers are alive with the carriage of goods – from bricks to watermelons (it’s watermelon season).
And the comparison with Venice..? Well, there’s the canals, but I’ve been to Venice many times and never seen a cow on a rowing boat, not even on a vaporetto.