Bashundhara City

I know, I know, it is hard to believe, but Dhaka has what is seems to be the 12th largest mall in the entire world, Bashundhara City. It literally looks like a city. Located smack in the heart of Dhaka, the mall is spotless as any  in the USA, and has more shops and customers than any on the American soil. There are more then 25,000 visitors daily.

This mall reminded me again about the contrasts of Dhaka. As you walk out into the dirty streets, you are surrounded by the ever present group of kids begging for money or food.

’Boss, boss, give me taka’, 'Boss, I am hungry'. 

Same thing, different neighborhood. It did not matter I had just left a luxurious mall with gorgeous escalators, air conditioning, and thousands of overpriced shops.

What happened to the distribution of wealth? Here, it seems to be going only to the people at the top. Incredible riches, luxurious Mercedeses, Lexuses, BMWs. Cars are spotless, in contrast to the streets. Drivers are parking next to street children sitting on top of a pile of garbage.

I would be a hypocrite to count myself out of this sad story. I live in the 'upper crust’ part of town in a beautiful apartment, have bags fulls of money (by local standards). And most of all, I have an OPTION. Option to just pick up and leave, go back to 'Merica, or wherever I choose to. This is a privilege not everybody has here.

This extreme poverty next to opulent wealth has been with me since I arrived here, and is one that I will grapple with during my entire stay here in the Desh. Until I excersise the OPTION and take the lessons I learned here to my next assignment or home, when I move back to the land of the free and the home of the brave.