Priota Iftekhar, who is widely known as the ‘flag girl,’ is now competing at Miss Landscapes International in Guangzhou, China. Representing Bangladesh, Priota already secured a spot in the top 20 best national costume round of the competition on Monday.
Priota told Showtime that the voting started on Tuesday. This is her third international pageant. The previous two were Miss Tourism World last June, and Miss Multinational this January.
“This time I’m far more prepared than the last time because back then I didn’t know how these pageants work,” she said. “I never modelled before Miss Tourism World in Malaysia.”
The solo traveller said she’s not a full time model.
“It’s just a passion, a hobby,” she said. “I’m more of a travel video blogger.”
She had worked on the other side of a camera at Channel i as a program producer and studied filmmaking, acting, and screenwriting in Mumbai.
Priota recalled her first experience walking the ramp in the middle of Miss Tourism World where she couldn’t join from the beginning of the competition.
“I first walked the ramp on top of a remote mountain (in Malaysia). It was a resort where 90% of the staff was Bangladeshi. When I got on stage, everyone around me was cheering... Then and there I realized pageants are not just about looking beautiful in a pretty dress. It’s far more than that,” she said.
The flag girl said she stops being “Priota” when she represents Bangladesh.
“It’s a big responsibility to carry what we own, our history, our heritage, our patterns, our dresses – every single thing,” she said.
Priota danced to two classical numbers and a Dhallywood number during the talent round of Miss Landscapes International on Monday.
“People are noticing the presence of Bangladesh in these competitions now,” she said. “China frequently hosts Miss World. So this is a very pageant familiar country. I got a lot of networking opportunities and learned a lot. I’ve really enjoyed the gatherings and everything.”
The final voting round of the competition has already begun through Facebook, the winners of which will be announced on June 23.
