The Bengali Princess

I witnessed something pretty terrible the other day. Shockingly, it wasn’t the traffic or the poverty or a grave injustice. It was simply a privileged Bengali girl getting her privilege on. My jaw literally dropped when I listened to her speak words she clearly did not process before articulating. True, there are worse things in the world, but when you’re interning at the world’s largest development organization, I expect at least a small amount of self-awareness. I’m thinking this might be a lot to ask.

So here’s how it all went down. We are walking through a paper recycling center where the organization’s main office sends its discarded paper to be recycled into new paper products that can then be used or sold by one of it’s social enterprises, aka businesses for good. The profits made by these socially conscience businesses are then injected back into the organization’s development programs. Hello sustainability. As we are admiring the work of some of the young women in the factory, my Bengali princess casually asks our coordinator if we get any free samples of paper or little boxers to take with us? Time out. Stop the clock, do not pass go, do not collect $200. (deep breath) Did she really just ask if she, a girl who’s family has their own drivers and servants, could get something for free from an organization that significantly relies on the profits of such products to generate funds to sustain its programs that benefit the very workers in that factory?! (exhale) Seriously though, did she really just ask for a handout from people who work for less than $2 a day?! COME ON!!

A plethora of emotions rushed through me but I thought I kept my cool, erring on the side of humor to call her out. Unfortunately, I don’t think she understood me. Even more unfortunately, I don’t think that she understood just how privileged her expectations were. We are in rural Bangladesh, the armpit of the armpit of the world an you want free shit?! Who are you?

Enough with the excessive punctuation…I’ll tell you who this princess is because she’s not alone. She falls into a minority of Bengali twenty somethings who are oblivious to how their family’s wealth has given them the upper hand their entire lives. From some of my experiences recently, it’s hard not to notice the gross distribution of wealth in this country. Bangladesh is not unlike any other nation with this issue, however, being that it is a developing country, the disparity seems that much more ridiculous. But I don’t think it’s only because the poverty is so extreme here; the wealth is also very extreme. There is a small percentage of Bengali families that possess the “My family lives better than most people do in industrialized countries” kind of wealth so I’m sure she’s not the only one who’s word vomiting all over Bangladesh.

Collectively this group of Bengali elite has a common history: Their parents or grandparents worked their way up the socio-economic ladder to improve the quality of life for their posterity. The unfortunate byproduct of this success story has been the creation of 2nd and 3rd generation Bangladeshis who show no appreciation or gratitude for the wonderful things they now have in their lives. This group of twenty somethings has set their expectation for quality of life so high, that they rarely come down from their pedestal and kick it with the rest of us lay folk. Most tragically, they are so completely unaware of their own privilege, you sometimes want to shake them.

I know the common phrase about only making an ass out of yourself when you make assumptions. However, I would like to assume that these elite Benglis would have some awareness of their fortune considering the streets of Dhaka they frequent are lined with pockets of destitution. Sadly, they tend to cast off this blatant inequity among the population as part of their “culture” and something that they can dismiss because they have the means to do so. And I’m the ass?

I’m not advocating handouts to every beggar here, merely simple awareness.

To be fair, I have encountered plenty of young, self-aware Bangladeshi men and women who are utilizing their first class education from abroad to really change the situation in their motherland. Bengali princess types exist, I think, because they haven’t had that one severely humbling experience that smacks you in the face and really puts you back in your place (rhyme intended). You know like the lightbulb moment…Or they are just choosing blind ignorance because it’s easier. I’m going to give my Bengali princess the benefit of the doubt and assume (here I go again…) that the former applies to her. Whatever the case may be, if people living in poverty received a nickel for every time this girl said something blatantly privileged, she would be responsible for single-handedly alleviating poverty in her country. Best innovative development program ever. I am totally cut out for this work.