HSC Unit : 9 Lesson 3; Bangladeshi in Italy
Last month, a 20-year dream came true: we visited Italy. While it was an amazing lesson in history, I was also taken by surprise at the Bangladeshis in Italy.
āĻāĻ¤ āĻŽāĻžāĻ¸ā§, āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ 20 āĻŦāĻāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻŦ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛: āĻāĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻ¤āĻžāĻ˛āĻŋ āĻā§āĻ°āĻŽāĻŖ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ¤āĻŋāĻšāĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ° āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻļā§āĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¯āĻāĻ¨āĻ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛, āĻāĻ¤āĻžāĻ˛āĻŋāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻ˛āĻžāĻĻā§āĻļāĻŋāĻ°āĻžÂ āĻāĻŽāĻā§ āĻ āĻŦāĻžāĻ āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĨ¤
I heard estimates of between 200,000 and 600,000 Bangladeshis in Italy.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ¤āĻžāĻ˛āĻŋāĻ¤ā§Â 200,000 āĻĨā§āĻā§ 6ā§Ļā§Ļ,ā§Ļā§Ļā§Ļ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻ˛āĻžāĻĻā§āĻļāĻŋāĻ° āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻļā§āĻ¨ā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤
I saw them in Rome, Florence and Venice (but not in Siena.) The ones I saw all had small to medium-size businesses.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ°ā§āĻŽā§, āĻĢā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¨ā§āĻ¸ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻā§āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸ā§ āĻĻā§āĻā§āĻāĻŋ (āĻ¤āĻŦā§ āĻ¸āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ¨āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧ)) āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¯āĻžāĻĻā§āĻ°āĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻā§āĻāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻā§āĻ āĻĨā§āĻā§ āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻ¸āĻž āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĨ¤
In Rome, they were selling handbags, sunglasses and tourist material on the streets.
āĻ°ā§āĻŽā§, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻšā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻĄāĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ, āĻ¸āĻžāĻ¨āĻā§āĻ˛āĻžāĻ¸ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ¯āĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻĒāĻžāĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻāĻŋāĻ˛ āĻ°āĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĨ¤
In Florence, we walked into a store selling âIndian-lookingâ things – a âmonohori dokanâ -only to find the owner was a Bangladeshi who had a chain of these stores in the city.
āĻĢā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¨ā§āĻ¸ā§, āĻāĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸Â āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°āĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻ˛ā§ āĻā§āĻ˛āĻžāĻŽ- āĻāĻ āĻŽāĻ¨ā§āĻšāĻ°ā§ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨-āĻā§āĻŦāĻ˛āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻ¤āĻžāĻ° āĻ¸āĻ¨ā§āĻ§āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛ā§āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻ˛āĻžāĻĻā§āĻļā§ āĻŽāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋāĻ āĻāĻ āĻļāĻšāĻ°ā§ āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ°āĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋāĻ° āĻāĻŽāĻ¨  āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛ āĨ¤
In Venice, they were selling trinkets-like little puppets made from balloons – on the Accademia Bridge and in San Marco Square.
āĻā§āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸ā§, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻ ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĻžāĻĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž āĻŦā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ¨ āĻŽāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻā§ āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ°ā§ – āĻŦā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ¨āĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¨āĻā§āĻā§āĻ° āĻŽāĻ¤ā§ āĻā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻĒā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ˛ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĨ¤
One seller told me these would not sell in Rome, but in Venice the tourists buy them.
āĻāĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻž āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āĻŦāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛ā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§ āĻāĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋ āĻ°ā§āĻŽā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻšāĻŦā§ āĻ¨āĻž, āĻ¤āĻŦā§ āĻā§āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸ā§ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ¯āĻāĻāĻ°āĻž āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĨ¤
They were incredibly kind and polite to us. The person in Florence-much to our protestations-treated us with cokes and ice cream, and sold things to us at large discounts.
āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ¯āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ¨āĻŽā§āĻ° āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĨ¤āĻĢā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¨ā§āĻ¸ā§ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻž āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻāĻŋ-āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ āĻāĻĒāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ° āĻĒāĻ° āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻžÂ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻāĻ¸āĻā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻŽ āĻĻāĻŋā§ā§ āĻāĻĒā§āĻ¯āĻžā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦāĻĄāĻŧ āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻĻā§āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
When it came to prices, they said Pay us what you want-we are so happy to see a Bangladeshi tourist here.
āĻĻāĻžāĻŽā§āĻ° āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻāĻ˛ā§ āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻŦāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ¯āĻž āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ¤āĻž āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻļā§āĻ§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻ˛āĻžāĻĻā§āĻļā§ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ¯āĻāĻ āĻĻā§āĻā§ āĻā§āĻļāĻŋ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤
It was a kind of haggling in reverse. One street vendor in Rome, after selling a sunglass at 18 Euro to a European person, turned around and sold me a similar sunglass at 4.5 Euro.
āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ āĻ§āĻ°āĻŖā§āĻ° āĻĻāĻ° āĻāĻˇāĻžāĻāĻˇāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĨ¤āĻ°ā§āĻŽā§āĻ° āĻāĻ āĻ°āĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻž, āĻā§āĻ¨āĻ āĻāĻāĻ°ā§āĻĒā§āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ° āĻāĻžāĻā§ 18 āĻāĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ¨āĻā§āĻ˛āĻžāĻ¸ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°ā§, āĻā§āĻ°ā§ āĻāĻŦāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻā§ 4.5 āĻāĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ°ā§āĻĒ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ¨āĻā§āĻ˛āĻžāĻ¸ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĨ¤
I wanted to pay him more, but, incredible as it seems, he would not take it.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻ°āĻ āĻŽā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ¯ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻā§āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽ, āĻāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ā§, āĻ¯ā§āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ¯ āĻŽāĻ¨ā§ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ, āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ¤āĻž āĻā§āĻ°āĻšāĻŖ āĻāĻ°āĻŦā§āĻ¨ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤
I think this barely covered his cost. At a mini-flea-market of Bangladeshi stalls at the Tiburtina station in Rome, I fell into a discussion of the business.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŽāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻŦā§ āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻ¤āĻžāĻ° āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻā§āĻĄāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĨ¤ āĻ°ā§āĻŽā§āĻ° āĻāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ¨āĻž āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻļāĻ¨ā§ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻ˛āĻžāĻĻā§āĻļā§āĻ° āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ˛āĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋāĻ° āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋ-āĻĢā§āĻ˛āĻž-āĻŽāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻā§, āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻ¸āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ° āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻ¨āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĨ¤
It costs them 1000-2000 Euros a month to rent each stall. The work is very hard, and they live frugally.
āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ˛ āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻž āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻŽāĻžāĻ¸ā§ 1000-2000 āĻāĻāĻ°ā§ āĻāĻ°āĻ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻāĻžāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŦ āĻļāĻā§āĻ¤, āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¤āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻā§āĻŦāĻ¨āĻ¯āĻžāĻĒāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°ā§āĨ¤
So they are able to save some money which they send home.
āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻ°āĻžāĻ āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻ āĻ°ā§āĻĨ āĻ¸āĻžāĻļā§āĻ°āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻā§āĻˇāĻŽ āĻ¯āĻž āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
One seller in Venice said he can save up to Euro 1000 a month, but only if a lot of conditions are met (e.g. he has to sell an average of 50 Euros worth daily; his food expenses cannot exceed Euro 80/month, etc.)
āĻā§āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻ° āĻāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻž āĻŦāĻ˛ā§āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§ āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻŽāĻžāĻ¸ā§ āĻāĻ āĻšāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻāĻ°ā§ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ¯āĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ āĻ¸āĻā§āĻāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŦā§āĻ¨, āĻ¤āĻŦā§ āĻā§āĻŦāĻ˛āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻā§āĻ° āĻļāĻ°ā§āĻ¤ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻŖ āĻšāĻ˛ā§ (āĻ¯ā§āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻ¤āĻžāĻā§ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻĻāĻŋāĻ¨ āĻāĻĄāĻŧā§ ā§Ģā§Ļ āĻāĻāĻ°ā§ āĻŽā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ¯ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ; āĻ¤āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¯āĻŧ ā§Žā§Ļ / āĻŽāĻžāĻ¸ āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻ¯ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§ āĻ¨āĻž āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻĻāĻŋ)āĨ¤ )
I was inspired by their entrepreneurship and touched by their generosity and hope their Diaspora comes true soon.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻĻā§āĻ¯ā§āĻā§āĻ¤āĻž āĻĻā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻžāĻŖāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ¤āĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻ°āĻ¤āĻž āĻĻā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻ¸ā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻļ āĻĒā§āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ¤āĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻļāĻž āĻāĻ°āĻŋ āĻĄāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻž āĻļāĻŋāĻāĻāĻŋāĻ°āĻ āĻ¸āĻ¤ā§āĻ¯ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻāĻ āĻŦā§āĨ¤
English | āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻ˛āĻž |
Vocabulary
1.Amazing 2.Estimate 3.Puppet 4.Incredible 5.Protestation 6.Discounts 7.Haggling |
āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ°
1. /adjective/ āĻāĻļā§āĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¯āĻāĻ¨āĻ; āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧāĻāĻ°; āĻāĻŽāĻ¤ā§āĻāĻžāĻ°ā§; āĻāĻŽāĻāĻĒā§āĻ°āĻĻ; āĻ āĻĻā§āĻā§āĻ¤; āĻāĻŽāĻ¤ā§āĻāĻžāĻ°; 2. /verb/ āĻŽā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ¯ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻŖāĻ¨āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻž 3. /noun/ āĻĒā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ˛, āĻā§āĻ°ā§ā§āĻ¨āĻ 4. /adj/ āĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ¯ 5. /noun/ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻŦāĻžāĻĻ; 6. /noun/ āĻĄāĻŋāĻ¸āĻāĻžāĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ; āĻŦāĻžāĻĻ; āĻ§āĻ°āĻžāĻ; āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻž; āĻā§āĻ; āĻāĻŽāĻŋāĻļāĻ¨; āĻĻāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋ; ; /verb/āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻž āĻĻā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ¯āĻŧāĻž; 7. /noun/ āĻĻāĻ°āĻžāĻĻāĻ°āĻŋ; |
English | evsjv |
Vocabulary
8. Vendor 9. Frugally 10. Entrepreneurship 11. Generosity 12. Exceed |
āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ°
8. Â /noun/Â āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻž; 9. Â /adj/Â āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¤āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ā§ 10. (1)Â āĻāĻĻā§āĻ¯ā§āĻā§āĻ¤āĻž; āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻ¸āĻžā§ā§ āĻ¯ā§ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻāĻžāĻ˛āĻ¨āĻž āĻŦāĻž āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāĻĒāĻ¨āĻž āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻ°āĻšāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°ā§;Â (2)Â āĻļāĻŋāĻ˛ā§āĻĒ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦāĻžāĻŖāĻŋāĻā§āĻ¯ āĻ¸āĻāĻāĻ āĻ; 11. /noun/Â āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻ°āĻ¤āĻž; āĻŦāĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻ¤āĻž, āĻŽāĻšāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦ 12. Â /verb/Â āĻ¸ā§āĻŽāĻž āĻŦāĻž āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻž āĻāĻžā§āĻŋā§ā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻž |