Bangladeshi food can be a world-class cuisine. So said a prominent headline on yesterday's Daily Star front page. One who knows the matter and is also Bengalee enough would possibly take the position that our national dish had always been up to world's best standards — only that the world did not ever have a chance to know it. Perhaps mainfy because Bengalees never went for empire building.

The leaders of the Bangladesh Caterers Association in UK who are now in city spoke on Tuesday in a seminar held to impress upon government the importance of the Bangladeshi catering enterprise in UK. For the government the same occasion presented a chance to encourage expatriates to invest in Bangladesh. It was the catering leaders who confidently expressed the hope that, if there were right planning and management, Bangladeshi dishes could also win the world as has been done by the Italian pizza. So very true. Which Bangladeshi dish would offer pizza a competition? It is chicken tenduri, according to them. But how much Bangladeshi' is that dish?

Going uncompromisingly for the genuine and authentic — the real stuff — is a surer key to success in the market-place. The merchandise you offer must carry with it culture which would sell it high and also more. Nevertheless, there is no-harm in beating others in the tenduri game also. But there are some other mughlai meat dishes peculiar to Dhaka and doubtlessly top class. Rezala, for one. And then there are the famous chaaps and glassies of mutton which the enterprising brave ones should not forget about.

The world is going veg — slowly but steadily. There is a whole world there to be won for the Bengalee entrepreneurs.