Submitted by Tasfia Tamanna

Countless hawkers set up small stalls on the street of Dhaka, Bangladesh each day. They’re found in congested public areas plying their trade. They earn a living on the busy streets, often unprotected from the elements. They sell clothes, toys, fruits, vegetables, and various household goods and health remedies, usually at prices lower than nearby shops.

Despite the already low proces, people like to barter. The vendors often make outlandish claims about the properties of their wares. In this soundscape, you can hear a recording played on a loop extolling the incredible power of a cockroach repelling device. The recording warns people not to fall asleep tonight unless they use this device, because they might wake up with cockroaches nesting in their ears! The recording tells men that unless they buy one now, tomorrow’s dinner will be ruined because cockroaches will be feasting on it first.

The next vendor is selling mosquito repellent for 40 takas , and next to him a man is asking 150 takas for wooden incense sticks, claiming this is the best price in the city. Of course, this couldn’t be a recoding of Dhaka without the ubiquitious roar of traffic: motorcycles, scooters, and horns!