PM orders major tourist spot development

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed authorities to take steps to
make all places of natural beauty and religious and historic
significance in the country attractive to local and foreign tourists.
She also ordered infrastructure development at Cox's Bazar, St Martin
and Maheshkhali islands, Kuakata and other major tourist spots, to
make use of the prospects of tourism. The premier gave the directives
while presiding over the 1 st meeting of the restructured Jatiya
Parjatan Parishad (National Tourism Council) at her office yesterday.
Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed newsmen after
the meeting, where the prime minister was apprised of the situation
of the country's tourism sector. Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Foreign
Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Quader,
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister MA Karim and other
secretaries and top officials were present. The last meeting of the
National Tourism Council was held in 2000 and after that no meeting
was held during the last BNP-Jamaat and the caretaker governments.
Hasina also suggested introducing Tourist Police to deal with
security concerns in the tourism sector. "A specialised police force
for tourism can be created by giving them modern training and
facilities," Hasina said. While modernising the tourism spots, the
traditional beautiful face of rural Bangladesh and the country's
culture and heritage will have to be protected from distortion, she
said. The prime minister emphasised maximum utilisation of the
world's longest sea beach, Cox's Bazar, and ensuring security of the
tourists. She said the risky spots in the sea beaches, like quick
sand, must be identified and marked with red flags and tourists have
to be informed about the exact high and low tide timings. She asked
authorities to undertake publicity campaigns to ensure that such
warnings are heeded well. The prime minister said there are hundreds
of ancient mosques, temples, pagodas and churches across the country
with outstanding architecture and significant history that need to be
protected. Hasina said, "Like all other sectors, the previous
governments in the last seven years showed utter negligence" towards
the tourism sector. The country's forests have also been ruined in
the last seven years due to reckless felling of tress, she said. The
minister asked the tourism ministry to work with devotion and a new
spirit to modernise the tourism industry. "Other countries present
even a small river with much attraction to the tourists. Why shall we
lag behind even when nature has bestowed us with its bounty" she
questioned. Hasina said the government has decided to set up a
university on the banks of the Rangamati Lake, which will also be an
attractive place for tourists. As peace was restored in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) following the peace accord of 1997 ,
the hill districts could be turned into places with tourism
potential. She also emphasised ensuring representation of the CHT
Regional Council in every committee on tourism matters. The premier
reiterated her call to introduce package tourism among the Saarc
member countries, particularly among Bangladesh, India, Nepal and
Bhutan for economic welfare of the region's population.