The only 'Haun Uncle'r Bhaater Hotel' in Jhalakathi where people seem happy to eat
The “Haun Uncle” is none other than the notorious former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Deputy Commissioner Harun or Rashid, widely known as DB Harun.
When you pass by the Brac Mor area in Jhalakati Sadar, you'll come across a place that is guaranteed to catch your eye.
It's a banner which reads "Haun Uncle'r Bhaater Hotel", followed by the name Prof Md Emon Chowdhury, and at the bottom, a list of Bangali cuisine items.
The facade already says its not a luxurious diner, but it is intriguing nevertheless, especially for passersby.
A Bhola resident named Nur Nabi was in the area recently, on his way back to his home district from Barishal.
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Spotting the banner, he stopped for a quick bite.
"Just seeing the name made me smile. So, I went in for a meal out of sheer curiosity."
He described the food to be ordinary, "like any other hotel".
"But the name has made quite a good impression. It always sparks a conversation among anyone who comes across it."
The context that lies behind this local hotelier's choice of naming his new business, a venture that started about a month ago, is quite infamous among us all.
The "Haun Uncle" is none other than the notorious former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Deputy Commissioner Harun or Rashid, widely known as DB Harun.
He last garnered public attention following the detention of six coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement at his notorious "Bhater Hotel" within the DMP's Detective Branch (DB) office.
He was of ill-repute for his practice of bringing individuals to the DB office and seating them at a dining table and posting pictures of those occasions online.
It all started with senior BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, who was taken to the DB office, and Harun entertained him with lunch in 2023.
So is this why hotel owner Emon Chowdhury chose this name?
"I used to work as a contractor. During the recent unrest in the country, my work suffered significantly. To survive, I decided to enter the hotel business," he said.
"I was unsure about what to name the hotel. After discussing it with a few people, they suggested this name. For some reason, everyone seemed to find this name very amusing. I decided to go with it. Now, I see plenty of people coming to eat here because of it. That makes me very happy."
The name has indeed caught on.
Faisal Hossain, a local college student, recalls DB Harun treating people with a meal at his office and then posting those pictures on Facebook.
Faisal first saw pictures of the hotel on Facebook. Again, out of curiosity, he tried it out.
"As everyone recognises this place, the food quality needs to be improved to retain customers," he said.
