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Bangladesh wasn’t a destination most people expected me to visit. When I told friends and colleagues about my plan, many asked, “Why go to Bangladesh for tourism?” Even the visa officer at the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu, the immigration officer in Dhaka, and several locals repeated the same question with surprised smiles. But I had a simple answer: Nepal has mountains, rivers and hills—but no sea. I went for the beaches.

Dhaka was my first stop, and the city hit me with its pace. Compared to Nepal, the Bangladeshi capital has undergone rapid infrastructure expansion—wide roads, long flyovers, fast tracks and a functioning metro system carve through the city. But alongside this impressive development comes the other reality: almost no discipline in traffic. Vehicles rush from every direction, rules appear optional, and crossing the street feels like a test of courage.

Bangladesh, with an area of roughly 148,000 sq km, is only slightly larger than Nepal’s 147,516 sq km, but its population—over 170m—overshadows Nepal’s nearly 30m. It is a country overflowing with people. The crowds are constant, and everywhere feels busy.

After Dhaka, my main destination was Cox’s Bazar—the world’s longest natural sandy beach. This was the part of the journey I was truly looking forward to. The sea breeze, the endless shoreline and the rhythmic sound of the waves were exactly what I had hoped for. I explored both commercial beaches filled with local visitors and quieter, more untouched stretches of sand. It was fun, refreshing and unlike anything Nepal can offer.

What surprised me, though, was the absence of foreign tourists. The beaches were lively, but almost entirely with domestic travelers. Despite that, people were warm, curious and welcoming everywhere we went.

According to the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), Bangladesh received around 655,000 foreign tourists in 2024. But the local media reports that many of the foreign arrivals recorded by BTB are not leisure tourists but include business travellers and non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs).

Back in Dhaka, I visited the area around Dhaka University. The walls were painted with murals—powerful images connected to past protests and political movements. Yet the atmosphere was peaceful, with students walking, chatting and enjoying the campus surroundings.

My week in Bangladesh was a mix of contrasts: infrastructure growth and traffic chaos, overwhelming crowds and serene beaches, political expressions on walls and calm in the streets. It was unexpected, eye-opening and memorable—a reminder that sometimes the best trips are the ones others question.

South Korean authorities are developing a mobile app for stalking victims to track in real-time the location of their stalkers, if they're nearby, BBC reported. 

The app, announced by South Korea's justice ministry on Wednesday, is part of an approved amendment to the country's electronic monitoring law.

Stalkers have become a subject of public concern in South Korea, especially as high-profile crimes involving stalking have made headlines in recent years, according to BBC.

Meta has started removing Australian children under 16 years old from its Instagram, Facebook and Threads platforms, a week before an official teen social media ban begins, BBC reported. 

The tech giant announced last month it had begun notifying users aged between 13 to 15 years old that their accounts would start being shut down from 4 December.

An estimated 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 Instagram accounts are expected to be affected. Threads, similar to X, can only be accessed via an Instagram account, according to BBC. 

Nepal's preliminary team to play the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier has been announced.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced the preliminary team of 26-member today.

The team includes Indu Barma, Rajmati Airee, Sita Rana Magar, Samjhana Khadka, Kabita Joshi, Riya Sharma, Somu Bista, Rachana Chaudhary, Rubi Podar, Poooja Mahato, Kabita Kunwar, Rubina Kshetry, Sana Prabin, Alisha Yadav, Iswori Bista, Roma Thapa, Soni Pakhrin, Bindu Rawal, Laxmi Saud, Manisha Upadhyay, Simana KC, Anu Kadayat, Kajol Shrestha, Kiran Kunwar, Asmina Karmacharya, and Mamata Chaudhary, CAN informed. 

The team will begin the closed door training session at Mulpani Cricket Ground from Friday onward. 

After the closed door training, the final team of Nepal will be announced.

A total of 10 countries will participate in the global qualifier to be held in Nepal from January 12 to February 1. 

Four top countries among them will be selected for the Women T20 World Cup to be held in England in June 2026. 

The Group 'A' of global Qualifier includes Ireland, Scotland, Thailand, the United States and Zimbabwe while Group 'B' has Nepal along with Bangladesh, Namibia, the Netherlands and Papua New Guinea.