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Special Feature
Bangladesh – The rise in the experience economy
The story of Bangladesh is one of the greatest development stories ever told. The country is currently on the journey to becoming a developing nation by 2026, and is investing heavily in its tourism, leisure and attraction infrastructure. This is creating huge opportunities for attraction suppliers, brands and retail providers to deliver prestigious projects that will help shape a nation.
Bangladesh Visual Fountain and WaterScreen
The rise in the experience economy With this growth in the economy comes a rise in population with greater disposable incomes. This has led to a huge rise in demand for consumer electronics, household goods and holidays, but also for location-based experiences. “The tourism industry is on the rise in Bangladesh and has expanded significantly over the last few years,” explains Husain. “Locally owned resorts at towns across the country have been operating at almost full capacity for the majority of the year.” The natural beauty of Bangladesh cannot
O
ne of the companies that is spearheading the development of many of these projects is construction company
NDE, which has set up a specialist division called NDE Solutions with managing director Riyad Husain at the helm. “We specialise in the design and delivery of leisure and attractions projects in Bangladesh, working alongside key development partners for specialist support,” explains Husain.
History Once the second poorest country in the world, Bangladesh gained its independence in 1971. Fast forward to 2021 and the country was celebrating its Golden Jubilee for 50 years of independence and its GDP Per Capita had risen to more than India and Pakistan for the first time. Despite the Covid pandemic, the country has
seen 6% economic growth, one of the highest among all nations across the world. Without the pandemic, it is anticipated that this growth would have been closer to 8-9%. Over the last 50 years the country has
completely transformed and is now on a journey to becoming an upper middle-income country by 2031 and a developed country by 2041.
SPRING PART 2 2022
be ignored, with claims to fame including the longest stretch of natural sea beach in the world spanning 120 kilometres at Cox's Bazar, the largest mangrove forest in the world and the home of the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger. However, for every five local tourists, there is
only one foreign tourist, bringing huge investment opportunities for foreign companies and brands into this unexplored but truly spectacular landscape. “The Government is supporting the development
of the experience economy, with a focus during the last three years to improve the infrastructure around leisure, entertainment and lifestyle activities,” says Husain. “In 2021, two bills were passed in Parliament to support this ambition and deliver quality experiences. The Bangladesh National Museum Bill is in place to make the country's museums more dynamic and vibrant and the Bangladesh Zoo Bill exists to modernise the management of the Zoos.”
Significant projects NDE Solutions has been at the forefront of many of the pioneering leisure and attraction projects that have already taken place in the region. Most notably, this includes a seven-minute hologram show that was shown live and viewed
by 50,000 people to celebrate 100 years since the birth of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. NDE delivered this alongside partners MDH Holograms in March 2020 and it is believed to be the largest live hologram show in the world, broadcast from one of the city's major stadiums. This summer will see the launch of the country’s
first water screen and fountain show, which they are delivering in partnership with LCI Productions. LCI has been working with NDE Solutions since 2020 planning a number of museums, projection mapping, water show and immersive experience projects. “The iconic water show will be permanently
installed at the Swadhanita Stambha Complex, within the Suhrawardy Udyan Park in Dhaka,” explains Rob Paul, Design Director at LCI Productions. “This is a historical location in the city which features a stunning 50m glass tower surrounded by water and also an underground museum. “The display will feature an array of fountain
effects, a water screen with video projection and a distributed audio solution. The guest experience will include musical fountain shows and shows that tell the story of the independence of Bangladesh and rise of the nation,” says Paul. Shows will play at scheduled times throughout
the evening to create a destination and encourage visitors to stay for a longer period of time. “The project is currently going through rapid
development, the show systems have been manufactured and have gone through factory testing, meanwhile the necessary building of electrical works are being completed in Bangladesh following LCI’s design plans,” explains Paul. The show’s production is being developed in
partnership between LCI and NDE to ensure that the planned shows are mindful of the local culture and sensitivity. The show is due to open this summer and will be a free attraction for the public every evening.
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