In Dhaka, the refrain is ‘No problem, Sir’ (World Cup Diary)

DHAKA - “Kono Samasya nai”, is a phrase that you hear often in Bangladesh.

Translated into English, the Bengali expression means “No problem, sir.”

Be it on the roads, trains, or in hotels or restaurants, you will come across this expression every now and then in Dhaka and other cities.

From the in-charge at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium media box, to the rickshawpuller on the roads - “kono samasya nai” appears to be a spontaneous reaction to anything problem or query that a visitor expresses to a local.

Complain to the hotel manager about the food, the immediate reply is “kono samasya nai.” Ask the media box coordinator about the problematic internet connectivity, pat comes the answer “kono samasya nai.”

They then get down to solving your problems.

“Every language has such expressions. For instance, in hindi, we so often hear tension lene ka nehin, dene ka hai. Our kono samasya nai is like that,” said a hotel employee.

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Boats spark a political controversy

Colourful models of boats, adorning the roads leading to the team hotels and the World Cup venue Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, are drawing hundreds of sports enthusiasts, but they have also sparked a political controversy in Bangladesh.

The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accused the ruling Awami League of using the World Cup to further their political agenda. The boat happens to be Awami League’s election symbol.

But organisers say it is a tribute to the water transport which is crucial to the livelihood of river-dotted Bangladesh. To increase the visual appeal, bats with the flags of the 14 participating nations have been placed resembling oars.

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Indian cricketers and Dhobighat

Several Indian players were seen looking for DVDs of recent Bollywood flicks at the electronics goods shop of the team hotel.

Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehera and Harbhajan Singh spent lot of time at the shop scanning through the DVDs kept on the shelves. Yuvi and Nehra were seen asking for “Dhobighat” and “Saat Khoon Maaf”.

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Manjrekar, a Rabindrasangeet singer!

Did anybody know that former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar is an avid Rabindrasangeet singer?

Manjrekar, here as a television commentator, regaled journalists from Bangladesh as also Kolkata with his flawless rendition of some popular compositions of noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

On a visit to the media box, the Maharashtrian Manjarekar regaled scribes with songs like “Amar Bela je jai sanjhbelate”, “Maya Bono Biharini Harini” as also “Jadi Tor Dak Shune keu na ashe tabe ekla cholo re.”

“I dont know Bengali. I have learnt these songs by listening to cassettes and cds of Kishore Kumar, who is my favourite singer, he told the awestruck journos.

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