An open space, with no chairs or tables in sight, but people will be seen seated on pavements, enjoying their meals.
Unlike other restaurants in Dhaka, and throughout the world, this particular one, named “Bhalo Kajer Hotel”, does not bill its guests
However, it runs on one condition, which is -- to receive a free meal, one must do one good deed a day.
However, if one fails to perform a good deed, he or she would not be made to return empty handed. The hotel will still feed such people, but they must do two good deeds the next day.
This unique restaurant was mainly designed for the rootless, helpless, and street children, who cannot afford to eat on a daily basis.
From a belief that people around the world mostly choose to do bad things owing to the pain of hunger, the organization “Youth for Bangladesh” set out on this journey.
To build a hunger-free and crime-free Bangladesh, the organization has been serving destitute people for quite a long time.
Every day at around 2:30pm, hundreds of hard-working people gather at Tejgaon's Satrasta intersection in the capital, and volunteers distribute food among them.
Mayukh Islam/Dhaka Tribune"I didn't do anything good today," said Miraj, before adding that the day before he had helped an old man cross the road. ”Another man, Opu, said that after he heard of this initiative, he had tried to do at least one good deed every day.
Manik, another individual who came to Bhalo Kajer Hotel to have his meal, said: "They feed people like us, so we all pray for them."
Arifur Rahman, one of the founders of Bhalo Kajer Hotel, told Dhaka Tribune about his inspiration for this initiative.
"When I was a child, I remember watching a play by Humayun Ahmed named ‘Shobuj Chhaya’. A character from the play, played by Zahid Hasan, did at least one good deed a day, and that idea inspired me and some of my friends to work towards starting Bhalo Kajer Hotel in 2009.”
Mayukh Islam/Dhaka TribuneRuleb Ahmed Himel, a senior volunteer at the hotel, said that those who approached them for a meal, informed them of their good work done that day. “There are people who fail to maintain our conditions on some days, but we do not deprive them of food. We motivate them to do two good things the next day.”He told Dhaka Tribune that at the end of the day, he was proud to be a part of such a unique initiative. “After a long day, when I see the smiles of the people, or they tell us that they liked the food, it makes my day.”
Another volunteer, Moziruzzaman Monir, said: “I do this because it makes me feel good. The chefs cook in our kitchen, and we drive to the Bhalo Kajer Hotels locations (Banani, Tejgaon, and Kamalapur) to deliver the food.”
About 1,500 members deposit Tk10 each day, which equals to Tk4.5 lakh every month for the hotel's operations.
Mayukh Islam/Dhaka TribuneApart from this, well-wishers also donate money for the hotel’s good work.Another branch of Bhalo Kajer Hotel was launched in Chittagong’s old railway station recently. Around 2,500 members are affiliated with that branch. They each deposit Tk300 a month for the hotel's operation.
Anyone can be part of this initiative through simple registration. Information on volunteering can be obtained by calling +8801713222343 and +880187370800.
The registration fee is Tk200.
Further information about the organization can be found on the website Bhalo Kajer Khabar (https://vkhbd.org).
In addition, daily news will be found on their page on Facebook page.
