New connectivity to spur tourism in Bangladesh

When people plan for a vacation in Bangladesh, the first thing that comes to their mind is a trip to beach town Cox’s Bazar.

But travelling to Cox’s Bazar is not easy, at least by road.

A traveller needs to spend 10 to 11 hours on road to reach Cox’s Bazar by bus from the capital Dhaka.

The inauguration of Padma Bridge gives them a few easier options.

The bridge on the mighty Padma reduces the travel time between Dhaka and Kuakata by a few hours allowing them now to view sunrise and sunset over the Bay of Bengal at a relatively cheaper cost.

Travellers from Dhaka now can plan a visit to Kuakata and return to their houses in the capital in a day if they wish.

Tourism experts said holidaymakers would also find it now easier to travel to the world’s largest mangrove forest Sundarban to enjoy its natural beauty with the Padma Bridge cutting travel time by at least four hours.

They said that with the reduced travel time the two already popular tourist spots are expected to see huge pressure starting from the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, likely to be celebrated on July 10.

The tourists suggested the construction of tourism-friendly structures and creating a favourable atmosphere at Kuakata and Sundarban.

 

They said that not only Kuakata and Sundarban but also many other tourist spots like char islands in the Barishal region would see a larger influx of tourists owing to Padma Bridge.

Jabed Ahmed, a former chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Tourism Board, told New Age that there would be a big tourism boost in Kuakata, Char Kukri-Mukri Wildlife sanctuary, Manpura in Bhola, and the floating guava market in Pirojpur after the opening of Padma Bridge.

Besides these tourism spots in the Barishal region, Jabed said, there will be a rush of travellers in the Sundarban mangrove forest in Khulna, helping a tourism boom in both the regions.

Jabed urged the government and the business community to develop accommodations, hospitality services and others tourism facilities in the southern region to attract tourists.

Tour Operators Association of Kuakata president Ruman Imtiaz Tushar said that business people have already planned to invest in developing tourism-related infrastructures centring Kuakata beach expecting a rush of guests.

He suggested the development of roads connecting to all the viewpoints of Kuakata beach and its surrounding spots like Rakhine villages.

He also urged the government to ensure round-the-clock security for the guests in Kuakata.

The tour operators expected booming tourism in Kuakata as Padma Bridge would end the suffering of travellers, who had to stay in long queues for ferries to cross the river earlier.

Domestic & Inbound Tour Operator Mahbub Hosion Sumon hoped that tourism in the southern region, especially in Kuakata and Sundarban, would now develop rapidly as they would be able to reach these places within four to five hours.

 

Green Line Paribahan Limited manager Abdus Sattar told New Age that the company had planned to operate 30 luxurious buses to Kuakata from Dhaka via Barishal city and Satkhira via Khulna city from June 26 using the Padma Bridge.

He said that Green Line buses are now operating from the capital to Khulna city and Barishal by using the Paturia ferry ghat in Manikganj.

He said that the distance between Barishal and Dhaka was cut by 90 kilometres while the distance between Khulna and Dhaka was cut by 70 kilometres with the opening of Padma Bridge.

There are 282-kilometre driving distances between Dhaka and Kuakata and 170 kilometres between Dhaka and Barishal city.

The company launched the Dhaka-Kalapara-Kuakata bus service for the first time to attract tourists after the opening of the Padma Bridge, he added.

Service holder Sadek Uddin Ahmed of Patuakhali, who now resides in the capital, told New Age that once upon a time travellers had to use 15 ferries to visit Kuakata sea beach by bus.

He said that a total of nine ferries had been used to travel to Dhaka from Barishal by bus.

It was a dream to travel to Dhaka from Barishal or Patuakhali by bus in a day, he added.

‘It needed eight to eight-and-a-half hours to travel to Kuakata from Dhaka using a ferry on the river Padma,’ said Sadek.

He said that now travel time to visit Kuakata from Dhaka by bus would be cut by four hours.’

A bus driver said that travellers had to spend 3-4 hours at the terminal to cross the river by ferry and more time was needed during Eid vacations or winter with fog disrupting ferry service.

Now it will take only five minutes to cross the river Padma,’ said he added.

He said that the travel time to visit 10 districts of the Khulna division will also be cut by the Padma Bridge.

Mohammad Yeasin, a transport businessman in the capital, said that he with his several friends recently visited Kuakata beach and they needed 12 hours to reach Patuakhali from Sadarghat by launch and another two hours to reach Kuakata by motorcycle.

 

Mohammad Kabir Hossain, a teacher at a government college in the capital, said that he recently visited Cox’s Bazar beach and had to spend 11 hours on road.

 

Now tourists can easily enjoy Kuakata beach with six hours of hassle-free journey by using Padma Bridge, he added.

 

Kabir suggested an increase in accommodations facilities and hospitality focusing on the Kuakata beach.

 

Kuakata municipality announced the place as a tourist spot in 1998.

 

Besides the beach, Fatrar char and Misripara Seema Buddha temple are nice tourist spots near Kuakata.

 

From Kuakata, travellers may visit the Fatrar Char which is part of the Sundarban forest.

 

Tour operators said that at first travellers have to rent an engine boat near the beach which would take them to Fatrar char after a thrilling journey of about one hour.

 

There is a nice canal in that place and a forest beside the canal, they said.

 

Now travellers can enter the forest after taking permission from the forest camp.

 

Sundarban is a home to powerful Royal Bengal Tigers.  Besides, there are many wild birds, some monkeys, some rabbits, deer and some other animals found in the forest.

 

There are nine tourist spots near Sundarban and over 45,000 tourists visit the areas between November and March, which is the peak time for Sundarban tourism. Travellers can visit such spots riding on boats through canals.

 

One of the main tourist attractions is Dublar char through a part of the Bay of Bengal. Devotees also visit the place to enjoy Rush mela.