Tourism springs back to life in Bangladesh

For Sharodiya Durga Puja, the country will have a five day holiday from October 20 to October 24. Travel lovers will rush to tourist areas with their families to enjoy this long break. After the monsoon rain, nature looks fresh and bright. The weather is now pleasant, with no harsh heat and no biting cold.

The power crisis that hit the country has also ended. All this makes it a good time to travel, so every tourist spot will be crowded during the Puja holiday. People involved in the sector believe the whole local economy will come alive with the visitors. Advance booking for hotels and resorts has already surged at the top tourist spots.

Traders hope that hundreds of crores of taka will change hands during this festival, after a long slump. They say the long holiday will help not only hotels and restaurants at tourist spots but also the transport sector, small local traders and the rural economy. Preparations are going on at tourist spots to welcome the visitors. Our correspondents have sent reports on the overall preparations across the country, which are given below.

In Cox’s Bazar sea beach, one of the top tourist spots, hotels, motels, resorts and guest houses are already fully booked for 80 to 90 percent of their rooms. Booking has also surged for cottages and resorts in Sajek, the land of clouds and hills, and in Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban. However, a local blockade on the Sajek Dighinala road has created some travel problems and fears. At Kuakata, the sea beach for watching sunrise and sunset, hotels and motels are also fully booked in advance.

Many people will also visit the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tourist spots in the Khulna region are getting ready for them. In Sylhet, tourists will rush to see the green tea gardens, hills, rivers, Ratargul Swamp Forest and the rocky streams with clear water at the foot of the hills. Sylhet is also preparing to welcome them.

Law enforcement agencies are ready to ensure the safety and smooth travel of tourists. CCTV cameras and volunteers will be placed at every Puja mandap. On the order of the Prime Minister, local public representatives will also work to ensure the overall safety of the Puja.

Cox’s Bazar

Shamsul Haque Sharek reports from Cox’s Bazar that the town is filling up with tourists because of the long Durga Puja holiday. Hotels, motels and restaurants are getting busier as a large number of tourists are coming. Sources say most residential hotels have already received record bookings. The police administration is working to keep tourists safe and the district law and order situation normal.

The Tourist Police are working to protect tourists along the wide sea beach, even with limited manpower. Superintendent of Police Mr. ANM Sajedur Rahman said the police are working round the clock to keep law and order normal. He said the focus is on keeping the overall security situation normal during Durga Puja and the arrival of tourists.

An officer of the Tourist Police said they are doing their duty sincerely along the wide beach with limited manpower. He said the police are working to keep tourists safe, give them the help they need and keep order on the beach. Sources from hotels and motels say almost all rooms in most residential hotels are booked for the long holiday. Booking continues both online and in person.

Hotels, motels, guest houses and restaurants are getting busier as more tourists arrive. Traders expect sales to grow in transport, food shops and other tourism based businesses if more tourists come during the long holiday. Mr. Abul Kashem Sikder, president of the Hotel Motel Restaurant Owners Association, said hotels are getting good bookings for the long Durga Puja holiday. He said this is a good sign for the tourist season. He said tourists are keen to visit Cox’s Bazar because law and order is normal.

Chattogram

Rafiqul Islam Selim reports from Chattogram that the city is preparing to welcome travel lovers. Chattogram is rich in natural beauty with its hills and sea. People in the sector expect a flood of tourists at tourist and recreation spots in this region during the long Sharodiya Durga festival holiday. Many events are being organized to attract them.

Transport links are good in this region, but traders in the tourism sector are worried about traffic jams, drug addicts, teen gangs and snatchers around tourist spots. The Tourist Police say they have made every preparation for the safety of tourists. Among the notable places to visit in Chattogram, the Queen of the East, are Patenga Sea Beach, DC Park, Boat Club, Naval Beach, Swadhinata Complex, Jamburi Park, Foy’s Lake, War Cemetery and Bhatiary Lake.

Other places include DC Hill, Batali Hill, CRB, Bayazid Bostami Mazar, Chandranath Hill, Banshkhali Eco Park, the Ethnological Museum at Agrabad, Zia Memorial Museum and Naval Museum. Tourists can also visit the tea gardens of Fatikchhari, Khoiyachhara waterfall and Mahamaya Lake. The sea beaches include Banshbaria, Guliakhali, Parki and Baharchhara. Sitakunda Eco Park is also on the list.

Thousands of people gather at Patenga Beach every day. On holidays, there is no space to stand there because of the tourist crowd. Along with Patenga, people also gather at Naval Beach, Boat Club and Kattali Beach, reaching it along the Outer Ring Road by the sea. A new kind of tourist spot has grown on the bank of the Karnaphuli around the second Outer Ring Road, built from Karnaphuli Bridge to Kalurghat Bridge. Crowds are growing there too.

Roads to these areas are good, but the traffic of tourist vehicles causes heavy jams. Travel lovers suffer because of this. The traffic division of the city police puts extra traffic members at tourist areas. Officers of the Tourist Police say they plan to add more traffic police during the Puja holiday. They also plan to increase security, especially to stop snatching and the trouble from teen gangs.

Inquiries show that roads to tourist spots in the district are in good condition. These include Anwara Parki Beach, Sitakunda Guliakhali Beach and the Eco Park. However, some roads, including the one to Parki Beach, have traffic jam problems. Drug addicts and idle troublemakers, pickpockets and snatchers are also a problem at these spots. There are also complaints that tourists face harassment, such as stale and adulterated food and extra fares in vehicles. Better monitoring of these issues can reduce the suffering of travel lovers.

Sylhet

Foysal Amin reports from Sylhet that the early signs of winter have created a different and positive mood in nature. People in the sector expect tourists from many parts of the country to crowd Sylhet at this time. Nature’s beauty spreads across Sylhet, but there is a big question about how easy it will be to enjoy it. The road links to tourist spots in particular have become terrible.

Rail and air fares are also beyond reach. Even with money, getting a ticket is as hard as catching a golden deer. Still, the district administration, the police administration and local tourism traders have made big preparations to welcome tourists during Sharodiya Durga Puja and its long holiday. As in every year, a large number of tourists is expected in Sylhet to enjoy both the natural beauty and the festive mood of the Puja.

For the convenience and safety of tourists and visitors, Sylhet district and metropolitan police have made a special plan for the festival days. They also have a 12 point directive. Under it, CCTV cameras and volunteers are ordered for Puja mandaps. CCTV cameras are also to be installed and monitored regularly at every mandap in Sylhet and at the main tourist areas.

The Tourist Police will keep extra watch at popular spots such as Jaflong, Bichanakandi, Ratargul and Sadapathar in Bholaganj to handle the heavy crowds. The local administration is taking special care so that travel is smooth and no tourist faces harassment.

Khulna

Asafur Rahman Kajol reports from Khulna that preparations are growing at tourist spots in the Khulna region for the five day holiday for Durgotsab. While tourist and recreation spots get ready for visitors, an order to shut down 18 resorts in Dacope upazila near the Sundarbans and to remove their structures has created uncertainty. The poor condition of several key roads, including the entrance to the city, has also raised fears that travelers will suffer.

The Sundarbans is a top tourist attraction of the Khulna region. It is the largest mangrove forest in the world and home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. Local and foreign tourists show interest in it every year. Karamjal tourist center, Katka, Hiron Point and Dublar Char are special attractions for tourists. Advance booking pressure had built up at Sundarbans based tourist spots and resorts for the long holiday.

However, after an order from the Department of Environment, resort owners in Dacope are worried. Guests who booked these resorts in advance are also anxious. People in the sector say that housing, food and transport arrangements are very important to handle the extra tourist pressure during the holiday. If the order to close the resorts takes effect, tourists may have to change their stay plans. Both tourists and traders may face uncertainty.

Besides the Sundarbans, Khulna and nearby areas have several places of history, heritage and nature. At Dakshindihi in Phultala stands the in laws’ house of poet Rabindranath Tagore, now known as Rabindra Complex. It has grown into a cultural and historical tourist center around the ancestral home of Tagore’s wife, Mrinalini Devi. The Khan Jahan Ali Bridge over the Rupsha River in the city, known as Rupsha Bridge, is one of the best places to enjoy the river view.

Sherpur

1. K. Sattar reports from Sherpur that crowds will gather at the Abokash tourist recreation center in the Garo hills and at Modhutila Eco Park during the five day Durgotsab holiday. Thousands of tourists will come. The five day government holiday has brought a golden chance for travel lovers to visit these two places. Tourists feel at ease because the tourist spots in Sherpur are calm and eco friendly.

Mr. Abdur Rahim, president of the traders’ association at the Abokash tourist center in the Garo hills, said he hopes for the expected number of tourists in this long Puja holiday. He said law and order is good as always and the weather is favorable. Traders are cleaning their shops before the Puja holiday begins. Tourists also feel at ease here because of the good roads and the good law and order situation.

Jhenaigati Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mr. Md. Al Amin told Daily Inqilab that crowds at the tourist center will grow a lot during the long Puja holiday. He said law and order here has always been normal, and that strict watch will still be increased. Mr. S M Nur Mohammad, Officer in Charge of Jhenaigati Police Station, said police are already on duty at Abokash to keep law and order. He said more special steps will be taken if the crowd grows for the Puja.

Rangamati

Dipta Hannan reports from Rangamati that the district is always attractive to tourists with its hills, lake and green nature. Tourism traders expect more tourists during the five day Sharodiya Durga Puja holiday. Residential hotels, resorts and tourist spots are ready to welcome them. However, leaders of the hotel owners’ association have asked people not to be confused about other tourist spots in Rangamati after Sajek Valley was temporarily closed. The district police have promised to take the steps needed to keep the Puja and tourists safe.

Earlier this week, the Rangamati district administration declared Sajek Valley tourist center temporarily closed from the evening, for an indefinite time. An urgent public notice signed by Deputy Commissioner Ms. Nazma Ashrafi said the Sajek Valley tourist center in Baghaichhari upazila will stay closed from 6 PM until further notice, for unavoidable reasons. It also told the tourists now in Sajek to leave and return safely to their destinations by 5 PM on October 13.

Mr. Suparna Deb Barman, president of the Sajek Resort Cottage Owners Association, said the administration took the decision after considering the safety of tourists. He said they will help carry out the administration’s decision. Traders say there is no bar on visiting other tourist spots in Rangamati town, even with Sajek closed. They expect more tourists at places such as Kaptai Lake, the Hanging Bridge, Shuvolong waterfall and Polwel Park in the Puja holiday that begins on October 20. Residential hotels, resorts and other tourism businesses are also counting the days, hoping for extra business.

Mr. Mostafa Kamal Uddin, president of the Rangamati Residential Hotel Owners Cooperative Society Limited, said all tourist spots in Rangamati are open. He said there is no reason to treat the situation of Rangamati town spots the same as Sajek. Sajek is about 135 kilometers from Rangamati town. He said tourists should not be confused about Sajek and can visit the other sights of Rangamati. He welcomed tourists to Rangamati, the paradise of green and the city of lakes and hills.

Rangamati Superintendent of Police Mr. Muhammad Abdur Rakib said the needed security will be put in place so the Sharodiya Durga Puja can be celebrated in a peaceful, fair and festive mood. He said everyone, including the Puja celebration committees, must cooperate sincerely and play a responsible role to stop any unpleasant event and rumor. He said the Puja can be held in a friendly and harmonious mood with joint cooperation.

Tetulia, Panchagarh

Mo. Samrat Hossain reports from Tetulia in Panchagarh that Tetulia is a good choice for a trip during the Durga Puja holiday. Tetulia sits at the very top of the map. Because of its location, it was known for a long time only as a border town. Now it is gaining fame as a tourist town, not just a border area. Hills, rivers, tea gardens, historic sites, the Rocks Museum and the border port together are building the largest tourist center of the northern region here.

The calm mood and natural beauty here will make the holiday very enjoyable for tourists. Sub Inspector Mr. Abdul Aziz of the Tourist Police, Panchagarh region, said they are working in every way for the safety of tourists. He said they have a small team, but they work in coordination with the local police station. He said there is no chance of any unpleasant event.