A sad incident of mugging

After a long pause, foreigners had started visiting Bangladesh once again. A large number of them came to the country as part of relief operations involving the Rohingya refugees. Sight-seeing groups and tourists also lately began trickling in. Just then, the recent mugging of valuables from a German photographer in the capital gives a wrong message to the prospective foreign tourists. The German amateur photographer, Swinde Wiederhold came to the country to participate in a workshop.

The proverbial image of Bangladesh as an ever-welcoming land has disappeared. Just when the nation started regaining its past fame, the mugging incident dealt a blow to the positive developments. Otherwise infatuated with the 'hospitable' Bangladesh, Ms Swinde became so devastated after the mugging that she gave a heart-rending account of her Bangladesh experience on Instagram. It was clear she would think twice before visiting the country again.

Meanwhile, the law enforcement people said they were trying their best to nab the criminals. The recovery of the German lady's laptop containing valuable photographs of people and places will go a long way towards healing the wound inflicted on Swinde. The age-old image of Bangladesh as a friendly country should not be allowed to go as a myth only.

M. Sharafat Ali

Gopibagh, Dhaka