Remember how I spent the last two days before my flight desperately trying to get my credit card and Priority Pass sorted?
WellâŚâŚ There was a reason. 
I wanted to experience an airport lounge before boarding my first-ever international flight.
YessssssssâŚâŚ I got my chance!
Finally⌠A Place To Breathe
After the immigration chaos, I needed exactly one thing:
A place where nobody was asking me questions. 
And thankfully, that place was the Balaka Executive Lounge.
Let me tell you what I discovered about airport lounges: You walk into the airport carrying luggage, documents and approximately 47 things to worry aboutâŚ
âŚand suddenly youâre sitting on a sofa, eating peacefully like you personally own the terminal.
That transition? Absolutely delightful. 
For me, it felt like someone had finally pressed the:
âOkay, breathe now.â button.
And just like that⌠Princess mode: ON. 
Well⌠A very tired, slightly anxious, first-time-international-traveller version of a princess 
But still⌠Slay queen. We made it to the lounge. 
So, How Do You Get In?
Balaka is one of the international departure lounges at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Access depends on your card, lounge membership or airline eligibility.
Complimentary access may be available through programmes such as Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass, as well as eligible American Express and local premium bank cards. Local cards may require foreign-currency endorsement on your passport, so itâs worth checking your cardâs conditions before travelling.
The lounge may also serve passengers travelling with airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Kuwait Airways, depending on their arrangements. Eligible business-class and other premium passengers may receive complimentary access or airline-issued lounge vouchers.
And yes, companions can usually enter too, but guest policies depend on the card or membership programme. Additional guests can typically cost around $45â$50, while children under two may enter free under programmes such as Priority Pass and American Express.
So yes⌠Bring your companion, I had three with me. 
Just maybe donât bring the entire extended family like youâre hosting a wedding reception. 
Okay, Now Feed Me
Now letâs discuss the real reason I suddenly became extremely interested in the lounge.
FOOD. 
Now, I would like to clarify something before my gym buddies come after me.
I am trying to be a gym rat. Keyword: TRYING.
A lot of my motivation comes from looking at my biasesâespecially Jungkook and Taehyungâand thinking:
âOkay girl⌠we need to get our life together.â
But when food appears?
Well⌠I think my personality becomes a little more Unfiltered OT7-coded.
Because when it comes to eating, apparently all my gym discipline, calorie calculations and âIâll just have something lightâ promises disappear into another dimension. My biases may inspire me to work outâŚ
but they also taught me absolutely nothing about portion control. And after months of gym discipline, I decided this was officially my cheat day.
Nobody was stopping me. Not even me 
Your girl saw the buffet and entered survival mode. 
Balaka offers Bangladeshi, Indian and Continental options including biryani, curries, pasta, grilled items, vegetables, salads, sandwiches, pastries and fruits, with live stations depending on the time of day, such as omelets, dosa, dumplings and noodles.
Was it the most extraordinary food Iâve ever eaten? No.
But it was neat, clean, nicely presented and less spicy than I expected, so I didnât feel ridiculously heavy afterwards and honestly? I wasnât looking for Michelin-star food, I just wanted to eat peacefully. So thatâs exactly what I did.
I ate, then I ate some more, and then I looked at the buffet like:
âIs there anything else we need to discuss?â
The buffet never stood a chance.
Gym era: temporarily suspended.
Unfiltered OT7 mode: activated.
A Little Reset
Before praying, I went to perform wudu.
The restroom area was well maintained, and there was also a shower facility available on a first-come, first-served basis through the front desk.
The dedicated prayer area had privacy partitions, prayer mats and nearby wudu facilities, and that little moment mattered.
Everything had been happening so quicklyâimmigration, rushing around, worrying about time and making sure everything was okay. Finally, I could just pray and breathe. For a few minutes, I wasnât a Local Guide navigating her first international trip.
I was just⌠me. 
Honestly, sometimes thatâs all you need is a quiet corner, a little prayer., and five minutes where nobody is asking:
âApa, passport, visa koi?(where is your passport, visa)â
A Little Touch of Hotel Luxury
The lounge has a connection with InterContinental Dhaka, bringing a hotel-style hospitality element into the experience. The interior was upgraded by Berger Design Studio, with modern seating, workstations, luggage storage, acoustic elements and thoughtful lighting, while incorporating touches inspired by Bangladeshi culture.
Basically:
âLetâs make waiting for a flight feel slightly more glamorous.â
And honestly? I was not complaining. After all, I had already entered Princess Mode 
. There was no going back now.
My Inner Travel Blogger Failed 
I wanted to take more pictures. I really did but between the anxiety, the time pressure and running short on time, my brain was basically saying:
âGirl⌠enjoy the lounge. We can document it later.â
So no, I donât have a glamorous 47-photo editorial of every corner.
I have⌠evidence. 
but maybe thatâs okay, I was tired, I was nervous, I was hungry. and I was excited.
And somewhere between the food, the prayer and finally getting a chance to breathe, I suddenly realized: Wait⌠Iâm actually sitting inside an airport lounge.
The girl who had never left Bangladesh before.
And somehow, here I was waiting for my first international flight.
That feeling? Hard to explain.
But very, very real.
And Then There Was the BarâŚ
Balaka also has a dedicated bar area. Tea, coffee, juices, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic refreshments are available, while alcoholic drinks may come with separate charges depending on your access type.
So noâŚ
My Priority Pass wasnât secretly giving me unlimited access to everything behind the bar. Good to know before anyone starts planning their âairport lounge lifestyleâ based entirely on my story.
Youâre welcome.
Finding the Lounge
The lounge is airside.
After check-in and immigration, turn right and continue through the hall. Toward the end, take the central stairs or escalator to the second floor, turn left and follow the connector walkway. The reception is on the left.
Show your eligible card, membership or airline voucherâŚâŚand youâre in.
At least in theory because airports have a special talent for making simple directions feel like a treasure hunt.
And Then⌠Back To Reality
Of course, we couldnât stay forever.
Our flight was waiting.
Suddenly it was:
âOkay everyone⌠WHERE IS THE BOARDING GATE?â
We gathered our things and headed out but that short break at Balaka gave me something I didnât realize I needed:
a pause and just enough breathing room before the next chapter of my first international journey.
A few hours earlier, I had been at home in Dhaka, surrounded by family, luggage and last-minute chaos, now I was sitting inside an airport lounge, waiting to board my first international flight.
And somewhere in between, I had gone from:
âOh my God, what is happening?â
to:
âOkay⌠I think I can actually do this.â 
Want the practical details?
Iâve also shared a detailed review of Balaka Executive Lounge on Google Maps, with more information about the facilities, food, access and my experience there.
So if youâre planning to use the lounge yourself, you can check out my Maps review for the more detailed, practical side of the experienceâwhile this post is the little story behind it. 
And just when I thought I had finally figured out this whole international-traveller thingâŚ
the airport had other plans.
Because next up?
Singapore Airlines.
And letâs just sayâŚ
that deserves its own story.
If this chapter had a vibe, it would definitely be giving Permission to Dance.
Not because everything was perfect, not because I suddenly became an expert traveller, but because after all the rushing, worrying, checking, double-checking and overthinkingâŚ
I finally allowed myself to enjoy the moment.
To look around and think:
âGirl⌠youâre actually doing this.â 
Sometimes you really do need a little permission to enjoy the moment.
To be continued⌠
