To break or mend hearts? Speed ​​dating 101

“Wish me luck, guys! I’m going on a date,” I said, waving to my coworkers as I headed toward an experience I never thought I’d have. Amid the daily chaos of Dhaka, the search for a bit of entertainment never loses its charm.

‘Speed ​​dating’ – a matchmaking process through quick dates is a relatively unknown concept to our youth. The only introduction to the concept of Speed ​​Dating is through YouTube shows like ‘Sidemen’ and ‘The Button’, where dates are limited to just a few minutes, making first impressions even more meaningful.

And considering that Speed ​​Dating was a new kind of event for all of us, the event started off on a shaky note.

Although the host did his best to put everyone at ease with jokes and stories, the audience was initially difficult to convince, hence the need for icebreakers.

“Is it a green flag or a red flag?” was one of the first few games we participated in to help ourselves soak up the experience and get a firsthand look at each person in the room.

As the red cards flew up for traits like “Judge people solely by their horoscopes” and green cards for “Ghosting is bad,” the crowd started to loosen up. Drawing our worst dating experiences turned out to be a fun, light-hearted way to warm up before the actual “game” started.

The people in the room knew each other only by their assigned numbers, not by their names. This was one of many rules the hosts put in place to protect those in attendance. Other rules, such as the strict no-photography policy and emphasis on respecting boundaries, helped put attendees at ease.

In a way, they have set the stage with the perfect balance between anonymity we get through online apps and the genuine nature of face-to-face conversations. This became apparent when I sat down for my first of seven ten-minute speed laps.

“So, how was your day?” I asked awkwardly. Fortunately, the initial discomfort melted away within seconds, as he turned out to be a real talker, and discovering things we had in common made the conversation even easier.

It goes without saying that I had my reservations about the course of the seven rounds. But I was pleasantly proven wrong, as the six “dates” (and one repeat) went smoothly, thanks to the organizer’s vetting process during the registration rounds. And in the unlikely event that I had felt uncomfortable at any point, I had my red flag with me to wave as a signal for the bouncer to intervene.

The system actually cultivated real connections between people. Every time the bell rang, we had the same look of surprise: “Already?”

It was like a playground for extroverts! The introverts were not left out; they were given conversational prompts to get the ball rolling, if necessary.

In between rounds where both boys and girls had the chance to choose their partners, there was a lively game of ‘Never Have I Ever’, while jazz music played softly in the background. Everyone felt more comfortable at this point and there was laughter as we all got to know each other a little better.

The Attention Network organized its first Speed ​​Dating event at Kawran Bazar in Dhaka on November 4. Despite social media trolling and their page being taken down for over a day, the event went ahead as planned. Imagine twenty strangers gathered in one room – what else could follow but pure awkwardness, right? Surprisingly, the aftermath was much more fun and authentic than I expected.

We’re so deprived of getting to know a person without first looking at their light-hearted version online, so this was a much-needed change of scenario. People are more than the pretty photos they upload, and this event was a great reminder.

Credit goes to the team who organized the event with ease and created a safe and comfortable environment for everyone involved. The well-thought-out structure and well-chosen icebreakers really worked in their favor.

Should Dhaka embrace more in-person matchmaking events instead of endlessly swiping on Bumble to foster genuine connections? Absolute.
But does it guarantee that you will find love? Who can say? As for me, I’m married, but good luck to those still on the journey!