Dhaka's Mailboxes Wait in Anticipation

After an extensive search, only a handful of mailboxes can be found in the capital. There was a time when people would count the days in anticipation of letters. Now, the situation has reached a point where the mailboxes themselves seem to be counting the hours, waiting for letters. Shamppa Biswas writes the story of this change.

"How many anonymous letters have arrived... some even reached my elder brother... none from the 'well-wisher' class dared to sign their names on the letters... They still arrive, but very few... mostly about jobs or visas." These are the memories of Laila Sultana regarding letters. She lives in the Nagar Project area of Rampura in the city.

In front of this 58-year-old woman's house, a letterbox can still be seen, which is a rarity today. Letters arrive once in a blue moon. Yet, she cannot resist the temptation of receiving a postal letter that once held immense appeal. She has kept the letterbox in front of her house, just in case a letter might come, mistakenly perhaps, from someone of that "well-wisher" class who today might no longer write anonymously. Does this thought ever cross Laila Sultana's mind? She replies with a laugh, "No, no... one or two letters do arrive. My husband used to write sometimes as well."

Her husband lived in Saudi Arabia for nearly two decades. He used to send letters from abroad. Laila Sultana still preserves those letters, perfumed and tucked away in a box. She laments that nowadays everyone inquires by phone, so personal letters no longer arrive.

Another resident, Alokananda Shekhar, resonances a similar sentiment. Although they have no connection, their nostalgia regarding letters is exactly the same. As she opens an old notebook and shows a letter, becoming emotional, the last two lines read: "Neither call nor write, but if you write, I find your scent on the paper."

That's the equation of the relationship between the recipient and the letter. But what about the red pillar mailbox, whose relationship with the letter is even more intrinsic? It used to hide everyone's news inside its dark red box. The mailbox would undoubtedly read the secret conversations of lovers without their permission. This box has been the witness to the stories of so many people, tales of sorrow and joy. But does anyone care for it today? Probably not. Its purpose has faded, and the pillar mailbox has lost its luster.

After an extensive search, only a handful of mailboxes can be found in the capital. Although according to information provided by the postal department, there are a total of 131 pillar mailboxes in the Dhaka metropolitan area. Despite this wealth of data, mailboxes are not very visible to people in reality. The reason is that various structures and shops have hidden these boxes from view.

After an extensive search, only a handful of mailboxes can be found in the capital. There was a time when people would count the days in anticipation of letters. Now, the situation has reached a point where the mailboxes themselves seem to be counting the hours, waiting for letters.
"How many anonymous letters have arrived... some even reached my elder brother... none from the 'well-wisher' class dared to sign their names on the letters... They still arrive, but very few... mostly about jobs or visas." These are the memories of Laila Sultana regarding letters. She lives in the Nagar Project area of Rampura.

In front of this 58-year-old woman's house, a letterbox can still be seen, which is a rarity today. Letters arrive once in a blue moon. Yet, she cannot resist the temptation of receiving a postal letter that once held immense appeal. She has kept the letterbox in front of her house, just in case a letter might come, mistakenly perhaps, from someone of that "well-wisher" class who today might no longer write anonymously. Does this thought ever cross Laila Sultana's mind? She replies with a laugh, "No, no... one or two letters do arrive. My husband used to write sometimes as well."

Her husband lived in Saudi Arabia for nearly two decades. He used to send letters from abroad. Laila Sultana still preserves those letters, perfumed and tucked away in a box. She laments that nowadays everyone inquires by phone, so personal letters no longer arrive.

"Anyway, after much searching, among the few pillar mailboxes found on Dhaka's streets, one is on the left side of the road going from FDC to Sat-rasta. Nowadays, this box remains mostly empty. Standing alone at the street corner, it must watch the busy lives of passengers speeding by in buses, motorcycles, or private cars, and think that once, it too had its busiest days. Post offices used to be bustling with the sound of stamps being affixed to letters and people coming and going.

Another mailbox was found on the left side toward Shahbagh from Bangla Motor. This mailbox is adjacent to two tea stalls. Surrounded by banana peels and chip packet litters, the box seems to struggle to breathe. A few locals said it is opened every other day, but no individuals are seen dropping letters.

According to official statistics of the Postal Department, there are currently a total of 9,886 post offices across the country, run under 5 postal circles. Among these, there are 4 GPOs (General Post Offices). Additionally, there are 23 A-grade head post offices, 45 B-grade head post offices, 420 upazila post offices, 923 divisional sub-post offices, and 8,460 branch post offices serving rural areas. Beyond these, there are 11 more. However, in this age of information technology, post offices have now been transformed into savings institutions for rural and common people. Savings certificates, time deposits, and postal life insurance are also quite popular. Furthermore, the post office itself facilitates sending money quickly and at low cost through mobile and electronic technology.

S. M. Harun-or-Rashid, Additional Director General of the Postal Department, spoke about this matter with Agamir Somoy. According to him, 'Pillar or street letterboxes still exist in Dhaka and throughout the country. However, these are now used for the exchange of official letters. Personal use has declined by almost one hundred percent.' When asked if there was any plan to revamp the Postal Department, he answered in one word: No.

Meanwhile, experts say that if this vast network of over 9,000 post offices spread across the rural level can be fully developed as e-commerce logistics hubs, it could play a revolutionary role in the country's digital economy."