A black and brown leather lace-up shoe named after the Iraqi journalist who threw his footwear at former US president George W. Bush has become a top seller in northeastern Bangladesh.
Shoe sellers in the city of Sylhet had named the “Zaidi shoe” in a bid to cash in on the popularity of reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi, who became a folk hero in Bangladesh after hurling his shoes at Bush during a press conference in Baghdad December last year.
“It’s the latest fad in Sylhet. Every one wants to be wearing the Zaidi,” shop owner Abdul Awal told AFP.
“It looks like your average men’s dress shoe but it’s been sold for up to 2,200 taka (NT$1,034) which is at the very top end of the market in Bangladesh,” Awal said.
Sales have shot up in the run in to Eid al-Fitr next week, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month Ramadan, when Bangladeshis traditionally shop for new clothing.
“Younger men, especially, are buying the shoes as a mark of their respect to Zaidi,” said Faruq Mahmud Chowdhury, a top businessman in Sylhet.
Zaidi, 30, was initially sentenced to three years in jail for assaulting a foreign head of state, but had that reduced to one year on appeal.
He was released last week for good behavior.(AFP)
一款以朝美國前總統喬治．W．布希丟鞋的伊拉克記者命名的黑、棕色綁帶皮鞋，現在已成為孟加拉東北部地區的暢銷商品。
錫爾赫特市的鞋商把這種鞋取名為「柴迪鞋」，想藉著記者穆塔瑟．柴迪的知名度大賺一筆；去年十二月在巴格達的一場記者會上，柴迪把自己的鞋子扔向小布希後，成為民間英雄。
「這是錫爾赫特的最新時尚。每個人都想穿上柴迪鞋，」店主阿布杜．阿瓦爾告訴法新社。
阿瓦爾說：「這雙鞋看起來就像是一般的男士鞋，不過一雙柴迪鞋最高賣到兩千兩百塔卡（新台幣一千零三十四元），這在孟加拉是非常頂級的高檔貨。」
代表伊斯蘭神聖齋月結束的開齋節下週即將到來，買氣迅速加溫。孟加拉人的習俗是在開齋節前添購新衣。
「尤其是年紀較輕的男子會買這雙鞋來表達對柴迪的敬意，」錫爾赫特的成功企業家法魯．馬穆德．喬赫里說。
三十歲的柴迪因攻擊外國元首，最初被判處三年有期徒刑，但經上訴後減刑為一年。
他因表現良好，已於上週獲釋。（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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