This month’s barbarian assassination of nine Italians (among a total of 20 victims) in the diplomatic highly guarded district of Gulshan Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh was a really sad event for me. They were people I had a lot in common with; the passion for experiencing other cultures from close distance, the courage of overcoming cultural differences and language barriers even while doing business. I want to share some reflections dedicated to those poor souls who lost their lives in that restaurant.
It was only two months ago at the end of April 2016 when I visited Dhaka for a few days business trip and I was in Gulshan area for a business lunch but in a different restaurant. The security check points at the entrance of the restaurant or the hotels and other public places where foreigners use to hang out might work as a deterrent for improvised criminals but not for an organised terrorist attack like the one at the Holey Artisan bakery.
Looking back at my last visit to this country thirteen years ago I found that things haven’t changed too much, except one thing; at that time there were no terrorism threats like today. Stepping out from the plane the smell of humidity in the air and the sudden heat immediately brought my memories back to many years earlier, it was like rewinding a movie tape backwards. The street crowded with cars and tricycles with beggars approaching at the traffic lights, the loud intermittent sound of klaxons and the dust covering everything in a grey thick layer are still there where I left them. But then there are the contrasting beautiful vivid colors of rickshaws and pass-by women dressed in their sarees. Still embedded in my mind are the strong smells of spices engulfing my nose again.
And one more thing hasn’t changed; the warm hospitality of Bangla people and their genuine desire to show you the best part of their culture. This time I have visited one of the most important denim factories in Asia, a model factory with some 4000 workers. First stop, the headquarter in the city, then to reach the factory just outside Dhaka there was a chopper departing straight from the roof of the building, the traffic in Dhaka is so thick that it would take half day to reach the location. Unfortunately I had little time to use my camera, and I left Dhaka and flew back to China only a few hours after the meetings. I hope there will be a chance next time I visit.
Street vendor
Street vendor
Murales
Murales
