Nightlife dulled in Gulshan

During the day, Gulshan looks like as it has always been – busy and full of life. But when the night falls, the area turns into a ghost town. It has been a month since the barbaric terror attack on Holey Artisan Bakery and O Kitchen restaurant in Gulshan on July 1, in which 24 people including two policemen were killed. The attack has changed the course of nightlife in the posh Gulshan area, well known among both locals and foreigners for the exotic eateries, cafes and other places to socialise. The restaurants and shopping malls that used to be packed with visitors now stay almost empty after the sun sets. Many businesses banked on Gulshan's popularity as a social hub and thrived on it. But these businesses took a hit when terrorists stormed Holey Artisan and slaughtered people – something they claimed they did because they wanted to kill foreigners. It has become particularly hard for restaurants and cafes. “Our sale has gone down by more than 50% since the attack, because a bulk of our customers used to be foreigners,” Mahmudul Kabir Akond, manager of Coffee Republic, a popular cafe in Gulshan. “We rarely have customers now in the evening.” There were only six people in the cafe when this reporter visited Coffee Republic during lunchtime yesterday. Istanbul Restaurant, another well-known joint, was shut down yesterday because the authorities can no longer afford the loss. Seventy people who were employed at the restaurant lost their jobs. “More than 80% of our customers used to be foreigners, which came down to 5% after the attack,” said an employee of the restaurant, seeking anonymity. “Before the attack, our daily income used to cross Tk1 lakh; after the attack, we barely made Tk15,000-20,000 in a month.” Ishrat Mim, 30, a working woman who lives in Gulshan, said she had regular haunts in the area where she socialised with friends and colleagues all week. “I used to frequent Butlers' Chocolate Cafe, Gloria Jean's Coffees, North End Coffees and Margarita Storm,” she told the Dhaka Tribune. “After the Holey Artisan attack, I stopped going to these places fearing more attacks. I once went to Margarita Storm with some friends, but we found it empty. So we decided not to venture these places for now.” Security was beefed up in the entire Gulshan area following the attack – additional check posts and police members have been deployed at all exit points. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, an employee of an international development organisation, on condition of anonymity, said: “I live in Dhanmondi, but I frequently go to Gulshan to eat, especially to the Westin for its ice cream and desserts. But now it has become difficult going to Gulshan. There are several police check posts where they ask too many mundane questions – where I live, where I am going, where I work, why I am in Gulshan, why I came at night, etc. “I am not against the security measures, but this situation discourages people like me to go to Gulshan. So now I avoid Gulshan.” Staff at several restaurants said their customers now prefer ordering food for home delivery. “I get my food delivered at home now and socialise at home. But it is not as satisfying an experience as what we would get if we could go to restaurants,” said Ishrat.