Hunger, poverty, corruption… These are some of the words that come to mind when people think about Bangladesh. So says an editorial in the influential regional business newspaper, the Financial Express. “Need for branding Bangladesh successfully” calls for a concerted effort to promote an image of the country that focuses on its potential. And this is where the Bangladeshi finalist in the New7Wonders of Nature, the Sundarbans, can play a critical role. According to the Financial Express editorial:
“Bangladesh is considered to be falling behind in the race to have its Sunderbans selected as one of the seven wonders of nature in the world. But the title of natural wonder is urgent for branding Bangladesh successfully. All should vote for the Sundarbans, particularly because the answer is: the coming days will be competitive for Bangladesh to survive as a competitive nation.”
The economic value of being voted as one of the New7Wonders of Nature was highlighted in April in an independent impact report by Grant Thornton, an international organization of chartered accountants and management consultants. The report put the figure at $US1 billion over five years for each winner.