Continuing on to Comilla, Dhaka and the Coast

"We headed to Comilla University, where we have a system on the roof of one of the buildings. After waiting for them to find the key and going through administration approvals, we finally got to the roof, but had to break into the room with our equipment, drilling through the lock. Luckily, the repairs were simple-replacing the battery, adding a low-voltage disconnect to protect it and correcting some wiring."

"When we were done, we headed for the city of Comilla, where Singha had talked a four-start hotel into giving us rooms at half price. We enjoyed our night of comfort before heading west in the morning to Raipur, our last stop for the stations in the tectonically active eastern part of Bangladesh. When we arrived, we found that the army had taken over the government guest house at our station."

"After the July uprising last year that toppled the government, the army deployed to cities across the country to help maintain security. To get in, we needed approval of the commanding officer, who was off at the weekly midday Friday prayers. After an hour of explaining and waiting, we were finally able to get to the roof. With the sergeant looking on, we were able to get the station working in less than an hour."

Team repaired GNSS stations in Sylhet, Sreemongal, Comilla, and Raipur to monitor plate boundary motion and delta subsidence. Travel from Sreemongal to Comilla took 7.5 hours due to bad roads and traffic. At Comilla University, entry delays required drilling a lock to reach rooftop equipment; repairs included battery replacement, a low-voltage disconnect, and wiring corrections. Lodging was obtained at a discounted rate in Comilla before heading west to Raipur, where the army had occupied the government guest house after a July uprising. After securing approval from the commanding officer and waiting through Friday prayers, the team restored the station in less than an hour. The return to Dhaka included a Chandpur lunch featuring freshly grilled hilsha in mustard oil.

Read at State of the Planet