In the latest wave of unintentional hilarity brought about by nature’s wrath, it appears that extreme weather conditions in Dhaka have emerged as a highly florid symbol of status, with only the city's wealthy inhabitants having the luxury to cope with them efficiently. Dhaka, the glitzy city of pollution and contrasts, has decided to add another unique selling point to its glory - the privilege to withstand prolonged bouts of searing heat, waist-deep floods, and life-threatening cyclones. Last week, as the mercury skyrocketed to an unbearable 40 degrees Celsius, the city's elites retreated into the chilly embrace of hyper-efficient German-engineered air-conditioners, while the less fortunate dealt more traditionally with the soaring temperatures, by substituting sweat for shower water. In an unexpected turn, the suffering masses have brought back the long-lost communal bonding activities, such as collective fainting and impromptu streetside sauna services. Meanwhile, the rains, in a philanthropic act of social discrimination, have decided to inundate the shantytowns while miraculously sparing the elevated McMansions of Dhaka's swankier neighborhoods. As the city's less privileged were seen frantically bailing out water from their homes, the wealthier citizens took the opportunity to engage in bucolic leisure activities such as indoor pool parties, monsoon golf, and yacht races on the newly formed urban rivers. Another sign of the meteorological snobbery came when cyclone Bulbul chose to skip the city's affluent areas because they were ‘not inviting enough’, instead deciding to wreck havoc on the humbler settlements that apparently had ‘more character’. The privileged were seen shaking their heads in sympathy from the safety of their hurricane-proof French windows, later sharing selectively cropped images on social media to exhibit their deep understanding of the plight of the less fortunate. In a startling demonstration of resilience or perhaps abject ignorance, the middle and lower economic classes of the city still dare to subsist without the creature comforts that the city's haute monde considers essential. Despite the occupational hazard of living in the path of extreme weather conditions, these undaunted souls carry on, reiterating the age-old adage of ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. In the meantime, Dhaka continues to aggrandize its exclusive club of the wealthy, who have managed to not only survive but indulge in the unforgiving weather the city has to offer. Reinterpreting the famous Marxist theory, it can be aptly stated that in Dhaka, the class struggle is not just a battle over means of production, but indeed, a profound squabble over comfortable survival in a climate-challenged world. Finally, a shoutout goes to Mother Nature – your brilliantly refined sense of irony has certainly brought a new twist to this tale of survival. We can scarcely wait for what the upcoming winter has planned for us – perhaps an avalanche or two. For now, though, hats (and by that, we mean locally-produced, sweat-absorbent sun-hats) off to you!