13th March 2020 was the day fixed for celebration of 6 year of Bangladesh Local guides (BDLG) and it was 131st meet up of BDLG and first for me. Obviously I was eagerly waiting for this day as it could be a wonderful opportunity to meet a bunch of enthusiastic local guides and to share experiences in a mood of celebration. So the place was “Mehedi Food Court”, one of the largest food courts in Dhaka where I reached just before 3 PM and after a quick registration, a t-shirt was given to us, not to mention, the t-shirt was an instant hit as it was designed uniquely with maps of Dhaka and adjacent districts all over it.
The cheerfulness of the local guides was the life of the whole show. The open discussion by the moderators and core team members of Bangladesh local guides definitely helped the participants to clarify on “FAQs” and they also took queries and tried to give solutions. All participants were so keen to know how they can contribute more to google maps which can benefit the community and the travelers in days to come. As the application for Meet up live 2020 is open, this was also center of attraction among the guides and Mr. Mahabub Hasan, the experienced fellow in this regard, guides and answered a lot of questions.
Now it was time to cut the delicious cake and of course some light snacks. There were different items of foods to choose from and what I chose you can see in the picture above. The best time for mingling in small groups was the time when we were having snacks. However, there were gifts waiting for some for the best contribution at Local Guides Connect during Victory day of Bangladesh (16th December) and International Mother’s language day (21st February). Not only that, every participants got a book as gift by Odommo Prokash.
Time for Group photo now. Hundreds of shots were taken in group, single and using drone. This was one of the most exciting parts of the program as more than 150 guides standing in circle with national flags for a bird’s eye picture. The community is united in spirit contributing not only to enrich the maps but also extending hands for each other and creating a strong bonding.
After sun set, it was time to say good bye in style. Sky lanterns which are locally called “Fanush” were flown by the guides and the red-black combination looked absolutely fabulous. The lanterns flew far and far and slowly they were lost in the distant sky and we said good bye to the meet up but unlike lanterns, came closer to each other and hopefully the memory will enlighten all of us to contribute more for the society and the world to make it a better place.
Cheers to all Local Guides around the globe! Stay well, stay safe!!
