Bangladesh is often negatively represented in the international media, which provides a wrong message to the travellers. Sitting thousands of miles apart, they become panicked to visit Bangladesh. Moreover, some western countries’ foreign department websites always flag the country in a negative way and issue travel alert in visiting Bangladesh, which increases the panic even more.
Though tourism of the country is under-developed, tourism department of Bangladesh has taken little initiative to clear the negative image of the country built year after year. Here you can read the experience of some brave western travellers who visited Bangladesh despite these security alerts, most of whom are solo female travellers, and they are discovering a completely opposite situation in the country which media never told them.
Experience of Svetlana Suslova
Svetlana Suslova from Russia visited Bangladesh for 11 days in November 2015. Here is what she says about her experience in Bangladesh during the security alert:
We’ve heard from the news that Bangladesh (as many other Asian countries) was continuing to face numerous economic, social, and environmental challenges, including poverty, over-population, and global warming. And recently there have been added alarming reports concerning possible terrorist activities in the region. The issue of security is very important and I was in doubts whether it’s a safe place for coming or not. But while being in Bangladesh, it became clear to me that my anxiety and doubts had been groundless, and the hype in the Western press was too exaggerated. The security situation here is like in any other tourist destination around the globe.
So I have many precious memories from my journey. This is a very friendly country, it was a fantastic time and I wish to come back again!
Experience of Alice Nettleingham
Alice Nettleingham from UK visited Bangladesh in early 2016 for three weeks as a solo female traveller. And here is what she writes in her blog ‘Teacake Travels’ about her experience:
I was scared to enter Bangladesh. Why? It is due to a lack of knowledge and the fear of the unknown. Was I going to get groped? Would men disrespect me? Would I get shot?! Needless to say, these horrendous visions were flashing through my over-active mind.
Having made it out the other end, I will now never let a judgement snake through my mind and slide out of my mouth unless I’ve been to the place in question. The love and care I received in Bangladesh blew me away and after a week of looking like a rabbit in headlights, I felt a deep love and respect for the people of Bangladesh, just like they had been feeling for me all along.
Bangladesh is politically in a very interesting situation right now. Last year between September to November 2015, one Japanese and one Italian were shot dead. Islamic State claimed responsibility for both the attacks but the government and locals assert that the motive was to make Bangladesh look unsafe for foreigners. But I decided this wasn’t going to stop me going. I refuse to give into fear. Sounds crazy? Not really. People get shot in London everyday.
Based on these experiences from the western travellers, some one can easily imagine how groundless and exaggerated the hype in the Western media about Bangladesh is. There was never any blast like Paris in Bangladesh, there is no war, no proof of any terrorist attack despite the continuous claim by some western countries. In a country of 160 million people, one or two getting killed is not even anything countable, which always happens in any country anywhere in the world, but always gets big exposures in the western media when it is in Bangladesh. Now, it is you to judge as a traveller, to travel Bangladesh or not, based on those hypes.
Compiled from the internet
