Desk Report:
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat, MP, has called for a coordinated initiative to develop backwater tourism to make Bangladesh’s tourism sector more dynamic and promising. He said that the government is working to transform Bangladesh into a tourism hub. He expressed hope that with everyone’s cooperation, the contribution of the tourism sector to the country’s GDP will increase to 10 percent in the near future.
He made these remarks as the chief guest at a seminar titled ‘Backwater Tourism Development’ organized by the Bangladesh Tourism Board at the Parjatan Bhaban in Agargaon in the capital on Thursday (August 13) morning.
The State Minister said, “The current government believes in action, not words. We are working to implement our election manifesto. Various steps have been taken to transform Bangladesh into a tourism hub.”
He said that an initiative has been taken to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with several ministries to eliminate inter-ministerial incoordination. In addition, work is underway to formulate a National Tourism Policy-2026. He stressed the importance of taking realistic decisions for the development of tourist spots and implementing them quickly.
Urging the private sector to come forward in the advancement of the tourism sector, M Rashiduzzaman Millat said that a private investment-friendly policy will be formulated. A request will be made to the Prime Minister to organize a meeting of the National Tourism Council every six months. At the same time, initiatives will be taken to increase the manpower of the Bangladesh Tourism Board and Bangladesh Tourist Police.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhtar, ndc, was present as the guest of honor at the seminar. He said that the work of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) has already started to eliminate the information gap in the development of the tourism sector. He also said that the Tanguar Haor Development Project has been taken in the ADP this year.
The Secretary said that in the past, many initiatives in the tourism sector could not achieve the desired progress due to inter-ministerial lack of coordination. He expressed hope that with the cooperation of all concerned, it will be possible to move the tourism sector forward by eliminating this lack of coordination.
Speaking as a special guest, Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Chairman Md. Samimuzzaman said that almost the entire picture of riverine Bangladesh emerges within the scope of backwater tourism. Backwater tourism must be developed by targeting the special population and local communities of the country.
He said that the involvement of local people is very important in the development of tourist spots. If employment opportunities can be created for local people, the safety of tourists will also naturally increase.
The seminar held under the chairmanship of Bangladesh Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer (Additional Responsibility) Md. Abdur Rouf, NDC, discussed in detail the importance of backwater tourism in Bangladesh, its current status, development challenges, action plans and things to do.
The keynote address was presented by National University Associate Professor Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain Bhuiyan. The event was attended by government and private sector officials and stakeholders from the tourism sector.
