bangladesh tourist board

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

• Asia and the Pacific
• 12 May 2011

Introducing Bangladesh Tourism Board

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The formation of the BTB is yet another positive step for the Bangladesh tourism industry in 2011, after launching the campaign, “Bangladesh Tourism Year 2011” earlier this year. Through such positive actions and increased awareness of the potential of tourism within the country, the Bangladesh tourism industry is set for a promising future. 

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Bangladesh Travel Guide

Untouched by mass tourism, Bangladesh offers diverse landscapes, heritage monuments and a warm and welcoming population.

Bangladesh might not top the list of the most visited countries in Asia, but therein lies its charm. You’ll discover cities and villages untouched by mass tourism, where you’ll be warmly welcomed. The country is known for its gorgeous rivers and backwaters, in particular the Sundarbans national park, an intricate network of mangroves and small tidal islands. A popular tourist activity is to take a boat trip around the park, searching for a glimpse of the elusive Bengal tiger. If you’re interested in exploring Bangladesh’s rivers further, take an indolent voyage on one of its heritage paddle steamers (known as ‘rockets’), which run from Barisal to Dhaka or Morrelganj.

In the east of the country lie the hilly regions of Sylhet and Chittagong, where you can hike among tea estates, forests and waterfalls. Meanwhile, Cox’s Bazar is the world’s longest natural sandy beach, stretching for 120 kilometres and home to a burgeoning surf scene.

For those looking for more urban encounters, the capital of Dhaka is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, bursting at the seams with Mughal and Hindu landmarks, and a thriving arts and restaurant scene. A quieter alternative is Bagerhat, a UNESCO-designated open air museum of mosques and mausoleums beloved by history buffs.

Bangladesh is surrounded on both sides by India, and shares a small section of its border with Myanmar. Its cuisine is influenced by India (particularly the adjacent state of West Bengal) and also bears traces of Mughlai cuisine from its former Persian rulers. Travellers may recognise dishes from menus in western curry houses – such as curries cooked with the shatkora citrus, and bhuna curries – but there will still be plenty of new flavours. Popular dishes include ilish macher paturi (river fish marinated with mustard oil and chili, and steamed in a banana leaf) and haleem, a wheat and ground meat stew eaten during Ramadan. Make sure you grab a glass of the country’s famous seven-layered tea, invented by Romesh Ram Gour, each layer with a different taste.

While Bangladesh is predominantly a Muslim country, heritage monuments attest to the influence of Hindu culture. Its Chittagong region is home to Buddhist and Adivasi tribal groups. Wherever you visit you’ll receive a warm welcome, with the culture on display everywhere.

BANGLADESH TOURISM BOARD

Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) was established through the National Tourism Act in 2010 to help promote the tourism industry at home and abroad. Its vision: to make Bangladesh a popular tourist destination in Asia. Since inception, BTB has been working tirelessly with the government and other private stakeholders to achieve this goal. 

Outlook Travel spoke to Mohibul Islam, BTB’s Assistant Director, about how the organisation has fared over the past decade.

Q&A WITH MOHIBUL ISLAM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, BANGLADESH TOURISM BOARD

What are your current goals?

Mohibul  Islam (MI):  Bangladesh Tourism Board is currently working to promote Bangladesh to the rest of the world, so that it emerges as a top destination in the eyes of the international tourist communities. To achieve this, it has many ambitions to expand and develop the sector. 

These include: providing advice, guidance and training to those involved with the tourism industry; ensuring the quality of tourism services and infrastructure; arranging for responsible tourism through advancing participation between the government, private sector, local communities and NGOS; promoting women’s participation in the tourism industry; and arranging training programmes for those in the sector.

How was the tourism industry in Bangladesh affected by COVID-19 and what are its plans for recovery?

MI: The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill, and tourism has been the worst affected of all major economic sectors. All the tourist destinations in the world have introduced restrictions in response to this pandemic.

On March 8, 2020, the first corona-infected patient was identified in Bangladesh. From March 26 to May 30, 2020, all tourist attractions, hotels, motels, resorts, restaurants, recreation centres, air, roads, railways and waterways were closed with the announcement of general holidays in the country. Domestic tourism has now been reopened under the guidance of SOP but outbound, inbound tourism is still closed. 

As a result, the outbound, inbound and domestic tourism of Bangladesh fell into a catastrophe; people from all walks of life associated with the tourism industry suffered. About four million tourism workers and at least 1.5 million dependents have been plunged into deep uncertainty. According to the information received from various sources, the loss in the travel and tourism sector in these three months from March to May amounted to 1487.02 crore ($175,700,000). 

BTB has developed a three-stage Tourism Recovery Plan. The first stage is crisis management and impact reduction, which includes a tourism support package, liquidity assistance to organisations in the industry, and protecting tourists to recover their loyalty. The second stage is to provide incentives for encouraging and accelerating recovery activities including visa-on-arrival for tourists, diversifying the market through new products and activities and creating employment opportunities for the future. The final stage of the plan involves preparing for the future, ensuring the resilience of the sector.

Are there any interesting projects in the pipeline you wish to highlight?

MI: Yes, we are currently working with an international consultancy firm, IPE Global Limited, to develop a Tourism Master Plan over the next 18 months. It will help with the government’s goal to develop Bangladesh as a middle-income country by the year 2021 and a developed economy by 2041.The plan will serve as the guidelines for ensuring sustainable development of tourism and a blueprint for the planned development of the tourist sites, utilising country’s tourism resources.  It will identify the opportunities and development of heritage and cultural tourism, agri-tourism, community-based tourism, eco-tourism in the protected areas of the country, and will also focus on infrastructure development.

Preparation of the Master Plan will ensure participation of all concerned departments, parties and entities so that they can agree on the common vision, policies, strategic directions, programs, proposed projects and implementation. The Master Plan will provide a clear road map for the sector over the next 25 years, with the focus on achieving incremental growth of tourism in Bangladesh.

Why, in your opinion, should someone visit Bangladesh?

MI: Land of never-ending waterways and some of the friendliest faces in the world, Bangladesh is arguably the last frontier of South East Asia. Travel in Bangladesh is offbeat travel at its best – you won’t find mass tourism here. Bangladesh is a raw country, fully charged with a unique energy that you won’t find in any other country throughout the world. An energy that you can only feel and understand by visiting the country. 

If you’re coming to Bangladesh, you cannot miss out on a trip to the Old Town in Dhaka, a melting pot of chaos, culture and crowds. A huge collection of traditional wares like Dhakai Jamdani, Tangail and crafting will give you the opportunity to make it happen. A strong hit of sights, sounds, and smells –an attack on all of the senses. And it’s awesome. Cox’s Bazar is home to the world’s longest unbroken stretch of sandy sea beach. 

Another superlative for Bangladesh; it is home to the world’s largest mangrove forest, famous for the Bengal tiger. Bangladesh is super friendly, super helpful, and super excited to see you. Its magical monuments, fascinating landscape and friendly people – Bangladesh has lots to offer. Discover history, culture and cuisine. Bangladesh is unique because of its simplicity. 

Bangladesh will be there for you till we meet again.

What trends are transforming the tourism industry in Bangladesh and how are you using them?

MI: With travellers’ desire for new experiences, the rapid global technological advancements, climate change, and other dynamics, the travel and tourism industry is constantly transforming. Having experienced an all-time high in the past decade, with 2018 recording the highest number of international tourist arrivals, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the sector is now undeniably faced with big challenges and uncomfortable changes in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. All the same, there are still rising tourism trends in Bangladesh that can help tour operators, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), and other industry suppliers to revamp their businesses and experience success as we get into the new normal. 

Bleisure travel is a growing tourism trend whereby people of Bangladesh travelling for work or business include some leisure time at their destination. In Bangladesh there is also a growing trend among millennials known as the “digital nomad” phenomenon, whereby online workers and freelancers adopt a lifestyle of travelling as they work. Tour operators can take advantage of this growing trend by creating offers that entice business travellers to extend their stay for leisure. For example, you can sell team retreat packages combined with perks like photos, videos, and transportation. Having WIFI and chargers in buses and accommodation (for multi-day tours) can also entice digital nomads and other travellers looking to stay connected for work.

Automation, digitisation and mobile bookings are also growing trends, with more and more bookings made online. This has made advertising cheaper for travel companies, but also customers are enjoying and increasingly prefer the convenience it offers. Tour and activities companies have also progressively adopted technology and online booking. 

In Bangladesh, travellers believe that companies should personalise their buying experience and base it on their behaviours, personal preferences, and past choices. Personalisation is also important when it comes to the actual tour or activity. By offering flexible experiences that can be tailored to a traveller’s needs, you stand a chance of better satisfying your clients, and that can lead to repeat visits. Your priority should, therefore, be on offering customer-oriented services.

Sustainable tourism is increasingly important – in Bangladesh more travellers are adopting this mindset and making their travel decisions with the environment in mind. Carbon offsetting, for example, is becoming more popular in Bangladesh day by the day especially since travellers want to help mitigate the impact of the climate crisis. Tour companies can also support this mission by making small but significant adjustments. You can do away with single-use plastics or opt to only use solar for all your energy needs. But it’s important to note that sustainability is not only about the environment. It’s also about making a positive impact on cultures, economies, and the people at the destinations that clients visit.

Other trends include transformative travel, – making a difference to the lives on others and oneself – solo travel and wellness travel. Almost any business can take advantage of these trends. Think of how you can market your business offers while developing and promoting communities, making it clear how tourists and locals can benefit. Your existing offers may already allow people to empower themselves by learning a new skill set, which also encourages personal growth.

Are you optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in Bangladesh?

MI: Domestic tourism in our country has already been booming. We are trying our level best to attract foreign tourists to our lovely land. Bangladesh is almost an unexplored destination to the rest of the world.  The hospitable people, golden past and heritages, mouth-watering Bengali cuisine, adventurous hill tracts, lifestyle, calm and quiet villages, greenery landscape, amazing backwaters, enriched culture of our ethnic groups, the roar of the longest sandy sea beach and wildlife species from different forests like the Sundarbans will surely amaze tourists.  

Thanks to our innovative approach to promotion, I am strongly optimistic about the golden future of the tourism industry of Bangladesh.

OUTLOOK RECOMMENDS

For high-end boutique villas in a tropical forest…

DuSai Resort & Spa

For endless variety…

Share Trip  is Bangladesh’s first and leading travel aggregator, designed to make travel within the country easier and more competitive. A winner of multiple prizes at the World Travel Awards – including Bangladesh’s Leading Travel Agency – it has succeeded in its mission to become a one-stop shop for travel in Bangladesh. Travellers can book flights, hotels and apply for visas online. They can also choose from a series of tours to landmarks within the country. The site has a comprehensive cancellation policy and places a strong emphasis on customer care.

For unique sustainable tours…

Bangladesh Eco Adventure

For authentic cooking classes…

The Travelling Spoon

For high-end urban accommodation…

Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden

DHAKA IN FOCUS

Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka is one of the world’s most densely populated cities, and the noise and crowds can prove overwhelming for first-time visitors. But stick around and you’ll discover some attractive monuments, an endless variety of restaurants and an unrivalled arts scene.

The city is at its best in the relatively cool winter months from November to March. This is also when it holds an array of fascinating cultural events, ranging from the biennial Dhaka Arts Summit (attended by 300,000 Dhakaites the last time it was held) and the Dhaka Lit Fest. The University of Dhaka’s Fine Arts Institute – designed by pioneering modernist Muzharul Islam – is an airy structure enveloped in landscaped gardens.

There are plenty of sights to feast your eyes upon. Lalbagh Fort – a sprawling 17th century Mughal complex – is one of them. The pink-hued Ahsan Manzill, former pleasure palace of the Sheikh Enayet Ullah, is another. Dhaka also has plenty of chaotic, colourful markets to visit – Dhanmondi Hawkers’ Market sells some of the most beautiful Jamdani and Tangail textiles and saris in the city.

Make sure you take the time to wander down the winding alleys of Old Dhaka, the city’s historic centre. You’ll pass timeworn buildings, shaded courtyards, religious buildings and plenty of markets. Bangla Bazar is crammed with book stalls, while Shakhari Bazar is a Hindu neighbourhood known for its shakhari makers (an instrument made with conch shells). There are plenty of places to eat, from street food stalls to heritage coffee houses and restaurants selling morog pulao (a variation of chicken biryani). 

And no trip to the city is complete without a trip on the river! Catch a boat from Sadargat, the city’s busiest river port.

LANDMARK ATTRACTIONS

Srimangal is the tea-growing capital of Bangladesh, its hillsides carpeted in emerald plantations. Visit the Tea Museum to learn more about the region’s history, or enjoy a picturesque hike in the surrounding countryside. There are several upmarket hotels where you can stay in comfort.

The Sundarbans

Located in the Bay of Bengal, where the vast rivers of the Brahmaputra and Ganges meet, the Sundarbans is an intricate network of mangrove forests, rivers, and tidal islands. It boasts an astonishing array of wildlife, including Bengal tigers, rhesus macaques, Gangetic dolphins, and estuarine crocodiles. This unique, fragile ecosystem has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the top spot in Bangladesh for a boat trip.

Cox’s Bazar

This gorgeous sandy beach stretches for over 120 kilometres along the Bay of Bengal. It’s a popular tourist attraction, offering activities such as jet skiing or boat trips to the nearby islands. However, there is more than enough space to avoid the crowds. It’s an excellent place for watching dramatic, fiery sunsets.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, in Dhaka, is the largest in the country, with a handling capacity of 18.5 million passengers. Carriers such as Air Asia and Qatar Airways provide flights to destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Asia including Seoul, London and Muscat.

Bangladesh has a good network of domestic flights, with airports in popular tourist destinations such as Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong. Top domestic carriers include US-Bangla Airlines and Novoair.

For those who prefer a more environmentally friendly alternative to travelling around the country, we recommend those with the time travel by boat. There are 8,000 kilometres of navigable inland waterways and a wide variety of different crafts on offer. These include public ferries – which travel long distances – and private boats, which take you from one town to another.

Trains are another option. Although the network is limited, first class carriages are very comfortable. There is a good network of long-distance buses – however, the state run BRTC buses can be uncomfortable, with limited toilet stops, so it’s best to choose a private coach. A more comfortable but expensive way to travel long distances is to hire a private car with a driver, something your tour operator can help you with.

When travelling within cities, its possible to choose from a wide – and somewhat confusing – array of vehicles, from public buses to pedal-powered rickshaws. Many people opt for CNGs (three-wheeled autorickshaws powered on compressed natural gas) to get from place to place.

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India issues travel advisory for nationals in Bangladesh amid quota unrest

The clashes in bangladesh arose from calls to reform the nation's civil service quota system, which allocates positions for certain groups, including descendants of those involved in the 1971 war.

Photo: Reuters

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Advisory on the ongoing situation in Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/mjXouAST2M — India in Bangladesh (@ihcdhaka) July 18, 2024

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India-Bangladesh kidney racket: Another Apollo doctor, clearance committee under police scanner

The delhi police had arrested dr vijaya kumari for her alleged involvement in a network where bangladeshi nationals were brought to her for transplants via medical tourism channels..

The Delhi Police probe into an organ transplantation racket across Bangladesh and India, in which a doctor from Delhi-based Indraprastha Apollo Hospital was arrested earlier this month, has now expanded in its scope to look at the alleged role of another top transplant surgeon at the same hospital, The Indian Express has learnt.

The Delhi police had arrested Dr Vijaya Kumari for her alleged involvement in a network where Bangladeshi nationals were brought to her for transplants via medical tourism channels. One of the accused, during questioning, has told police that some of the foreign patients were also referred to Kumari’s senior colleague.

This disclosure has set in motion two lines of inquiry, sources said. Police have sought “comprehensive details” of all kidney transplants involving Bangladeshi nationals conducted at Apollo Hospital in Delhi and Noida, as well as at Yatharth Hospital in Noida — where Kumari also worked.

Investigators have also turned to the government-appointed authorisation committee, the body that ultimately approves kidney transplants, for details on the panel and their approvals and if they had flagged any irregularities. “The accused will claim they had the necessary approvals so we will investigate if any member of the authorisation committee was involved…if due process was strictly followed,” a source said.

Kumari, now under suspension, was the lone doctor working with the gang, police had said, and had performed around 15-16 transplants from 2021-23 in Yatharth Hospital. A senior consultant and a kidney transplant surgeon, she joined Delhi’s Apollo Hospital as a junior doctor almost 15 years ago. She was engaged on a fee-for-service basis and not on the hospital’s payroll. A Yatharth spokesperson had told The Indian Express that Kumari was working with the hospital as a visiting consultant and performed transplants on patients brought by her. An Apollo spokesperson said that she was “under suspension” and the police action was related to an “investigation pertaining to procedures carried out at another hospital and prima facie not related to any action or acts at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.”

The alleged racket includes forging Bangladesh High Commission documents to prove donor and recipient were related. Indian law allows only altruistic donations either by close family members or distant relatives and friends who can prove their motivation is not financial. In the present case, patients from Bangladesh were lured by a network of middlemen, Kumari, and their associates for organ transplantation, police said.

Sources told The Indian Express that the accused – one of the seven arrested so far — had worked at another private hospital in Faridabad before moving to Apollo Hospital in Delhi in 2021.

He disclosed that he was lured to Apollo Hospital by a Bangladeshi national named Tasin, who promised better pay. At that time, Tasin worked in the medical tourism field, bringing Bangladeshi patients to India for treatments. The accused claimed that Tasin, along with two other Bangladeshi nationals, Rasel and Rokon, regularly met patients and donors from Bangladesh and arranged transplants in India. Rasel and Rokon have been arrested.

The Indian national has claimed that Tasin’s patients were predominantly those in dire need of kidney transplants. Most of these patients were treated by Dr Kumari. “However, in some cases, another top surgeon sometimes stepped in to perform the transplant surgery on patients brought in by Tasin,” the source said.

Second, he has reportedly cited instances of how documents to show the relationship between the donor and recipients were forged. “For instance, he has disclosed how Dr Kumari’s assistant would instruct Tasin to prepare these fraudulent documents before the surgery. In one particular case, this was accomplished in a mere 30 minutes,” the source said. The accused also revealed that Tasin took money from a Bangladeshi recipient and then fled the country.

The Delhi police have also recovered 32 fake stamps of doctors, forged files of patients/recipients and donors.

“During interrogation, they have confessed that they targeted the patients suffering from kidney disease hailing from Bangladesh by visiting the dialysis centers in Bangladesh. They arranged the donor from Bangladesh, taking benefit of their poor financial background and exploiting them on the pretext of providing them a job in India,” said Amit Goel, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime, Delhi Police.

Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More

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Two swimmers drown at Far North Queensland's Millaa Millaa Falls

Two men have drowned at a popular waterfall in Far North Queensland.

Police say their bodies have been retrieved from Millaa Millaa Falls around 100km south-west of Cairns.

What's next?

The men were not local to the area and police are in the process of notifying their next of kin.

Two men have died in a "tragic" swimming incident at a popular waterfall in Far North Queensland, police have confirmed.

The pair was swimming with another person at Millaa Millaa Falls, about 100 kilometres south-west of Cairns, when they got into difficulty just before 9am.

Inspector Jason Smith said the men entered the water for a swim from the shore and their companion witnessed their deaths.

"It appears that one man got into difficulty and a second man has then come to render him assistance, but unfortunately both men perished," he said.

A third man with the pair was on the rocks and "witnessed what happened", Inspector Smith said.

"He suffered from cold and perhaps shock, but he remained at the scene and assisted us greatly," he said. 

"We've been able to engage him with support services but he also, to my knowledge, has a strong network of people available to him.

"There were some more people nearby but they didn't actually witness it, so at the time there were not a lot of people at the waterfall."

Search crews were stood down around 12:15pm after the bodies were retrieved.

A rescue helicopter had earlier been sent to the scene.

The falls were closed to the public during the search but have since reopened.

No deaths in 'many, many years'

Millaa Millaa Falls is a well-known stop on the waterfall circuit in the southern Atherton Tablelands and is located just outside the township that shares its name.

While swift water rescues and drowning deaths are not uncommon in Far North Queensland, Millaa Millaa is regarded as a calm place to swim and often features in tourism promotional material.

"To my knowledge, Millaa hasn't had any rescues of this sort, or fatalities of this sort, for many many years," Inspector Smith said.

"I can't recall the last one."

Weather conditions were "idyllic", he said, but it was "difficult to say" whether the deaths could have been prevented.

"Far North Queensland is a great place to visit and take advantage of the waterholes, but everyone has to have vigilance and take care in only going to areas where they know they have the capability to swim safely," Inspector Smith said.

"People have to look out for each other."

Inspector Smith said the local community was tight-knit and "very proud of its natural resources and particularly the falls".

"I'm sure it will impact Millaa, Malanda and the Tablelands community that this tragic event has occurred in one of the most beautiful places in Far North Queensland," he said.

Police are in the process of notifying the men's next-of-kin.

The men were not local to the area, but were believed to be visiting Millaa Millaa falls for the day.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

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Rohit Sharma-Led Team India Will Not Travel to Pakistan For 2025 Champions Trophy

Mumbai: As expected, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team is unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. As per a report on ANI, the BCCI wants the tournament to be held in either Sri Lanka or in Dubai. The Indian board is officially going to make a request to the International Cricket Council over this. It would now be interesting to see what does the ICC do. Will they oblige or not?

According to a report in Telegraph, the eight-team tournament will be staged across three venues with Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore set to host matches from February 19 to March 9. As per the provisional schedule, the Indian cricket team play Pakistan in Lahore on March 1.

Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule - Fixtures List With Dates and Venues

February 19: New Zealand vs Pakistan - Karachi

February 20: Bangladesh vs India - Lahore

February 21: Afghanistan vs South Africa - Karachi

February 22: Australia vs England - Lahore

February 23: New Zealand vs India - Lahore

February 24: Pakistan vs Bangladesh - Rawalpindi

February 25: Afghanistan vs England - Lahore

February 26: Australia vs South Africa - Rawalpindi

February 27: Bangladesh vs New Zealand - Lahore

February 28: Afghanistan vs Australia - Rawalpindi

March 1: Pakistan vs India - Lahore

March 2: South Africa vs England - Rawalpindi

March 5: 1st Semi-final - TBC vs TBC - Karachi

March 6: 2nd Semi-final - TBC vs TBC - Rawalpindi

March 9: Champions Trophy 2025 Final - TBC vs TBC - Lahore

Meanwhile, India recently played Pakistan in a T20 World Cup 2024 game in New York. The game went right down to the wire before the Indian team held their nerves and went on to win the game.