Our consulates

Let me narrate my experience in Bangkok. We saw some fancy electronic goods in the departmental shops and thought of buying them. On the following day after many hassles we managed to find the BD Consulate in a small Road in Bangkok and we went to the office. There was a nice Thai lady receptionist who asked us to talk through a small window to somebody. We needed to know about customs regulations for imported electronic goods. We waited for quite sometime before a gentleman came near the widow and when we asked about the customs regulations, he said "we do not have the booklet here and he said this with great apathy as if we had interrupted in his meditation." It flashed my memory way back to 1972 when I managed to run out of money in Delhi, and was taken by a kind Indian taxi driver to their Ashram where by chance I met a Bengalee employee who arranged cheap food & accommodation for a week until my next flight to London. What I am getting at is the humanity and decency of ordinary people compared to some educated who consider themselves elite but are useless to the society.

I lived in Europe for a very long time and had seen how people from the small countries like Belgium, Austria and Italy behave with others. They all know that their rich lifestyle depends on their success in business and good public relations. Bangladesh is a small country and it has nothing of substance to boast about as compared to other countries.

I believe the only way we could improve our national image is to look into the mirror and ask ourselves whether we can learn from the modesty and values of others, irrespective of nationality & religion.