On a sunny day in Bangladesh, a queue of men and women watch attentively as people take turns playing a game. The aim is simple – throw a red ring on to a red bottle fixed to a table – but this is far from easy, with six other bottles on the spinning surface.
The winner gets a five-litre jar of groundnut oil. The game is tough, the pressure palpable.
One after the other, participants fail, until a woman succeeds and proudly walks off with the prize to loud applause.
These fascinating, innovative games have become popular in Bangladesh, particularly among villagers and those from poorer backgrounds.
The footage is watched by millions and has a combined subscriber base of three million followers on Facebook and YouTube – including more than 500,000 followers from the UAE – and more than a billion combined views for its video content.
At a time when games played on smartphones have become the norm, Mr Somrat and his team are bringing communities closer by organising innovative physical games.
“Smartphone is a popular medium of entertainment but these games are entertaining and the purpose of these challenges is to build community harmony,” Mr Somrat told The National. "People get together and win prizes that are daily essential items.
“We want to bring exciting, entertaining games to all the villages. It is not charity. We are trying to help people while also entertaining them.”
Among the many quirky games are scoring a goal with a football while sitting on a chair, rolling tyres to break bottle towers and balancing ping-pong balls on a shaky, hanging platform.
Contenders are selected on a first-come-first-served basis.
“Our viewers will get bored if we repeat the same games, so we have to always try to innovate,” Mr Somrat said. "We have a dedicated team that brainstorms ideas and improvises or modifies games.
“The games are extremely popular and everyone wants to play but it would be difficult to control the crowd as at any given day over 300 people gather. We let 20-50 people play.”
Entertainment with a cause
The unique concept has made the SS Food Challenge immensely popular both offline and online.
Mr Somrat, a former administrative officer with Australia Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dhaka, said he had always been drawn to video content creation and started a YouTube channel in 2016, mainly featuring funny videos.
A year later, he started a singing talent competition where he travelled across Bangladesh looking for singers. In 2019, he was struck by a different idea.
“One day when I went to a village, I noticed that in the evening the daily wage labourers or those who work at brick kilns were gathered at one place. They were bored and tired. I thought of starting a food-eating challenge for them.
“We started with a challenge for who can eat the maximum number of sweets. That video became instantly popular. But I was scared that fast eating is not safe. Even if the quality of the food is good, one can get sick if they eat too fast.”
A year later, as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the nation, Mr Somrat was inspired to create a new challenge after seeing children and adults spending long hours on their phones.
“That’s when I got the idea to organise these games for children but they were not coming to just play games. We started offering prizes such as chocolates or toys.”
Adults started showing interest in these games, too. The first challenge with prizes took place in December 2021 in Faridpur in Pabna district in central Bangladesh.
The video became popular overnight drawing hundreds of thousands of views.
The channel’s popularity boomed in January 2022 when prices of daily essentials suddenly rose due to inflation.
“That’s when we thought of giving soybean oil or rice as prizes that can be of use.”
Mr Somrat doesn’t take any sponsored products and says he bears all the expenses.
“We decided to give a consolation prize to all the participants because they are also investing their time for our videos. It is only fair to thank them.
“Our YouTube and Facebook are monetised. We don’t take sponsors because we would be tied by their terms and conditions. We have been offered energy drinks but I don’t want that because our aim is to help them with essential items.”
So far, they have covered more than 40 villages in Pabna district but their aim is to organise such games across Bangladesh.
"We want to entertain people while also doing a noble cause," Mr Somrat said.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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5 of the most-popular Airbnb locations in Dubai
Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:
• Dubai Marina
The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh482 to Dh739
Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
Three bedroom: Dh721 to Dh1,104
• Downtown
Within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the famous fountains, this location combines business and leisure. “Sure it’s for tourists,” says Mr Grudziecki. “Though Downtown [still caters to business people] because it’s close to Dubai International Financial Centre."
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh497 to Dh772
Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
Three bedroom: Dh743 to Dh1,154
• City Walk
The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh524 to Dh809
Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
Three bedroom: Dh784 to Dh1,210
• Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
Three bedroom: Dh631 to Dh941
• Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh503 to Dh770
Two bedroom: Dh654 to Dh1,002
Three bedroom: Dh752 to Dh1,152
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
