Jack Ma's 20-hour stay in Dhaka leaves everyone wondering: What's next?

Jack Ma, the Chinese business magnate and co-founder of Alibaba Group, caused a stir during his 20-hour visit to Dhaka on  26-27 June. 

His presence generated curiosity among tech entrepreneurs and the media in Bangladesh.

Before departing for Nepal on 27 June, Jack Ma arrived in Dhaka a day earlier and checked into the upscale Gulshan area's Renaissance Hotel at 5pm. 

He was accompanied by four personal staff members.

According to an executive from the hotel, "Around 6pm, he left the hotel and spent two hours touring the city in the hotel car." 

The executive added, "He left the hotel at around 11am the following day without having breakfast."

Alibaba Group, known for its specialisation in e-commerce, retail, internet, and technology, has made investments in bKash, the largest mobile financial service provider in Bangladesh, and Daraz, the country's largest e-commerce company.

When contacted by The Business Standard, bKash, Daraz, and several e-commerce and tech entrepreneurs confirmed that Jack Ma did not have any meetings with them.

The media became aware of his visit only when a hotel executive posted a photo together on social media recently.

Ma left Dhaka for Kathmandu and subsequently travelled to Pakistan, where he also created quite a buzz. 

However, his 20-hour stay in Dhaka left a lingering curiosity as discussions surrounding his activities in Bangladesh continued even after a week of his departure.

Many speculated that Ma's brief stopover in Bangladesh may indicate significant business interests as he continued his travels across South Asia.

The same theme was repeated in Pakistan.  

No government officials met with Ma during his visits to both Bangladesh and Pakistan. 

Ma has maintained that his visits were strictly personal and not related to any business activity.