A DAY WITH THE BANGLADESHI GAY'S

Ok so it has been a while since we had a loewdown on the ever evolving closet gay scene of Bangladesh.  So here it goes... Yes unfortunately the very gay existance still exists in the closet and behind closed doors only.  During my research for this article I spoke to various people from the general public to gay closet politicians, gay service providers such as gay massuers, room service assistant, an inernational model who is currently residing in Bangladesh on his modeling project and even a popular actor in Bangladesh, Who is currentley dominating the bangladeshi film industry.  It goes without saying the gay population is certainly on the increase. 

Let me start off with the interesting people I had met.  First I met up with a leading politician of the oposition party, (currently in power) in a hotel loby.  With his relaxed and calm persona, he patiently waited for me, as i got held up in the congested traffic of Dhaka.  As I arrive, he actually got out of his leather sofa and greeted me with a firm hand shake.  The gay (closet of course)politician in his late forties, informes me that, he has regular contact with some local gay contact's.  Who are providing him regular gay services including hotel room massage.  With a grin on his face he also tells me, there are so many gay married guy's in the politics and for entertainment they have to depend on reliable source's.  I asked him wouldn't it be easier to just ligalise gay sex  in Bangladesh.  Like india has recently.  Which has not only worked on favour to the gay citizens of India but also contributed to the economic boost hugely.  He laugh's and sip's his cabaret souvign (which by the way I was also offered on my arrival, however I went for just mineral water) before answering my question (which seemed like a duffed question to ask at that very moment), neatly placed on the glass top table between us.  "India is currently the second largest country in the world with a population of 1.21 billion.  Like the west India had to come over many obstacles to be where it stands now.  India had some of the most inspiring people in the world to motivate it's people and leaders to bring it where it is today.  People like Mahatma Gandi, Mother Teresa and Jawaharlal Nehru.  Even today they have living legends who will take the country further ahead then where it stands now.  Who do we have?" The conversation seem to came to a pause for a moment.  At this point his PA enters the lounge with a mobile.  He politely tells me he love to continue this conversation but unfortunately he needs to hit the road for a government meeting.  Our conversation ended with the troubling question in both of our minds.  Unsure to the answer of his question we both parted for our next schedule. 

Driving through a painfully slow moving trafic through a over populated city, I finally reached the popular Boshundara Shopping City.  Here in the top floor of the shopping centre, awaits two of the most popular celebraty figures in the Bangladeshi entertainment world. A international model and a film and tv actor. 

Surprisingly friendly and outstandingly handsome these guy's greets me with a pleasent smile and firm handshakes.  Out done by their tasteful designer attire, I nervously start my conversation by proposing to seat in a cafe.  They takes me to nice boutique cafe, interestingly quiet with a picqulier dark modern interior throughout. 

Naturally attracting curiosity from the shoppers passing by.  My model guy from abroad tells me, life as a gay guy living abroad suit's him.  Luckly for him being gay in the industry is not seen as an issue, and that he is out to his friends and family, to a certain extent.  For the actor guy, the story however seems to be completely different.  He tells me that sleeping amongst artists is nothing new.  It happens all the time.  Only difference is that in the west things happens in the open and everyone talks about it.  Here  what happens behind the closed door stay's behind the closed door.  Actors are often faced with situation where they are asked by the director "So you want be an actor? What is your tellent?", and by this they do not mean what you can do for the camera but what is your tellent in bed.  He went on gossiping about two certain leading actors in Bangladesh, that had an affair for a long time.  To all my surprises I have heard rumoured about these actors before, but hearing it from people who are actually in the industry and have workd along with them I was reassured.... There can be no smoke without fire!!

Introduced through common friends,  my showbiz friends seemed to have opened up to me more then I could have asked for.  Our conversation continued over some imported drinks specially brought from a nearby 5* hotel.  Though it seemed like an unfamilier world I was hearing about, yet by no mean was I surprised.  Weather you are in Mumbai, London or Dhaka for that matter, being gay is being gay.  How it happens may differ how you are approached or how you approach but homosexuality exists everywhere in every corner of the world.  

Of all the meetings I had for this article, I must admit I had the most blasting time interviewing these guy's.  Unfortunately all good things come to an end.  So did our interview, and we parted with the usual formal greetings but with a promise to keep in touch with our newly invested friendship.

After a long eventfull day, it was time to wind down in my not so expensive boutiq hotel room.  As a perfect iceing on the cake a massage seemed the perfect thing to go for.  So I invited a contact I found on line. 

As the door bell rang, I opened door with immense excitement and curiosity as this is my first massage ever in Bangladesh.  Out side the door waited a young gym fit, muscle guy. Who introduced himself as Salman (and seemed nothing like Salman Khan) nor the guy  the profile I had contacted.  But I could not be dissapointed, as he looked decent and better then the guy in his profile.  Further more it could have been worse and he could have been ugly and un attractive.  So there was no way I was going to turn him away over his fake profile.  But this is an issue(even though on this occassion it might have worked on my favour) I talk about later in this article.  It's really worth reading and being alert about. 

Negotiated over the phone my massage at 700 taka (equilvent to £6, extectly at current exchange rate).  Started of with a back rub and slowly down to the thigh's and eventually right to the foot's.  Although he is no trained massuer, yet by no means he was no less then a professional massuer.  He worked his hands like a pro and it was worth every panny he had asked for.  Infact I was so pleased by his massage and his professionalism, that I ended up payiung him a total of 1000tk (still less then £8).

It certainly was not the most amazing massage I have ever had but it was one of the best massage I have ever had.  If you are looking for a massage while your stay in Bangladesh.  Then make sure you do your research first on the guy you are inviting in your hotel room.  As my massuer informs me that boy's who does massaging services just for the money and pretends to be most trust worthy people, you will have ever met.  have walked off with all the belongings of their client, while they went to the wash room.  And this goes for any one you meet to be quite honest.  As online profiles are mostly full of fake identities.  But of course it does not mean every single profile you will ever come across is fake, as I have exprienced this myself and was asked numerous time to show my true pictures.  This clearly is a result of fake profile used by online dating sites and marketing companies in order to reach out to clients and to attract users globally. It's a huge problem, seriously.  Similar to the spam and junk mail we are used to and it gets fustrating after a while given that there there are not many true rofiles available online.  Something benGAYliz intends to overcome by providing a online data base of profiles throughly checked and with pictures only. 

This was my short lowdown on the underground and closet gay bangladesh.  Hope you have enjoyed reading as much as I have writing it.  If you have any further information that you think benGAYliz might have missed out or would like to se included then please write to us abs@bengayliz.com.