Apparently the saying goes: Expats cry twice - once when they are told they have to go to Bangladesh and once when they have to leave. Why? Because Bangladesh is considered the bottom rung of locations to do development work in the world. Africa is at the top, BD at the bottom. This is what I've learned from all the yearning to go to Africa I've heard from the Aid workers here.
Now why do they hate to leave? Because of the clubbing, of course. These aren't clubs in the sense that you may be thinking, like say discotec. No, these are Clubs in the most neo-colonial sense of the word: Country Clubs. And you have to be a citizen of the aforementioned country working with purpose in Bangladesh to become a member. Some only allow membership from the diplomatic community, some based on language but all have restrictions on the number of Bangladeshi's that are allowed in at any given time. Heaven's no, they can't become members, they can only be signed in as guests and only a few at a time because one wouldn't want to sully one's reputation. Once you are a member of one club you have access to all the rest. Except, some clubs (read the American Club) think other clubs (read the BAGHA Club - British Aid Workers Guest House Association Club) are too lenient with the locals and have placed extra restrictions on other club's members.
What's so great about these clubs anyway that everyone is vying for a spot at the membership roster? Well the alcohol and the scantily clad women, of course. These are some of the few places that serve alcohol and where foreign women can wear whatever clothes they want. They hold parties with both of the above present as well as music and dancing. Essentially they are an oasis of the west in Bangladesh. This wouldn't be so bad . . . if it weren't for the racist restrictions. I'm told that everyone tries not to think about that part and just get on with life instead of actually doing something to change it.
On the other hand, maybe it is more representative of the West than I am comfortable to admit.
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Interesting.
I lived in the middle east in the 70's, 80's, 90's.
There were exactly these sorts of clubs. Most of these clubs were fairly exclusive and expensive and catered to westerners.
There was for a time in the early 80's and attempt to make a club with both Nationals and westerners. It worked for a little while, and then the muslim nationals stopped bring their wives and children. They showed up in groups (men only). They sat around the pool. Stared. Can you blame them? In a city full of women in abayas, even a modestly dress western woman at a swimming pool is enticing. They propositioned wee girls and married women, they pinched, whistled, hassled. We stopped going to the pool, to the club. It became nearly exclusively Arab.
In the same token, we were in a foreign country and we did our best to follow our hosts rules and religious restrictions. We dressed modestly, for many years women didn't drive, no alcohol (I don't drink) and numerous other restrictions. I don't think it was racism that we had a small piece of home behind closed doors in a foreign land.
Mostly it was agreed that we could have our western ways behind closed doors and out of respect for our hosts we kept it that way.
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