The Associated Press

DHAKA, Bangladesh - Opening a business at Dhaka's National Stadium might seem like an astute move. The stadium's frequent soccer games attract as many as 80,000 potential shoppers.

But the heavy flow of people also brings a heavy flow of something else. Electronics merchant Hasanuzzman Moni explains: "It is disgusting. ... They urinate on shoppers from atop the stadium as if it's raining," he said.

The six-story-high arena was built without public toilets in 1960.

"We will shut down our stores for a day in September if the authorities fail to stop the mass urination," said Moni, who is also a leader of the Stadium Shopkeepers' Association. If that doesn't work, he said, "We will sue the stadium authorities."

Abdur Rahim, whose store sells saris, agreed.

"We can't catch the offenders, and we are losing customers," he said.

An official at the National Sports Council, the government organization that runs the arena, blushed when asked about the problem. "Don't ask me anything. We will try to see how the nuisance can be stopped," he said on condition of anonymity.

Public urination is a common sight in Bangladesh. Men in Dhaka, a city of approximately 7 million people, often avoid dirty or out-of-service public toilets by relieving themselves against bushes and walls. Read Next Article