David Chang, a tourist who came and fell in love with Bangladesh

Dhaka : When 55-year-old David Chang, a tourist from Taipei, first landed at Zia International Airport he thought this country would be one of the forty countries he is visiting. But when he was about to leave, he said he would visit this country again, if possible every year. Before I came, all I knew about Bangla-desh were natural disasters like hurricane, cyclones, floods and train accidents. But I am very impres-sed with what I experienced after I came here in the eight days I have been in Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar, said this translator, who was a teacher and tour guide.
I visited a few homes. I tasted the food. I rode the rickshaws. I explored these three cities, a thing I like to do most. Cox’s Bazar is an interesting place. People are nice. The beach is properly managed. I was not harassed. Local people briefed me where not to go. The Chittagong city is spread out. The Shah Amanat International Airport is beautiful as is the old railway station and the new one is modern, he commented. He suggested construction of an airstrip on St Martin’s Island so that foreign tourists could go and come back the same day. He also suggested availability of folded maps at airports, hotels and book shops for convenience of the tourists.
Some of what the Western press report like population density may be true but they do not report the generosity, the hospitality of the Bangladeshi people, he said. They have not written about the progress in the country’s tourism sector. The country’s tourism potentials have been under-reported. So I think not only Bangladeshis but visitors like us should do more to promote Bangladesh abroad – aspects like religion, culture, people’s customs, the country’s scenic spots, Chang added. More foreign travel writers should visit Bangladesh.
He suggested that crimes against tourists, though there is nothing much here now, should be cracked down when they occur before it takes the scale of India or Nepal. Tourists do not mind paying a bit more, but they should not be fleeced as done by Kolkata cabbies, he said giving an example. I found some cabs in Bangladesh using metres, some not. This also should be looked into, opined Chang.