In a bid to elevate Bangladesh's tourism sector, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam has announced the government's plan to identify potential tourism sites across all 64 districts. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to establish the country as an international-standard tourism destination. Speaking at a seminar organized by the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) in Agargaon, Dhaka, the minister emphasized the need for public-private partnerships and stronger coordination between government agencies and private-sector operators.
Afroza Khanam highlighted the government's focus on developing tourism attractions around several villages, including Mitingachhari in Rangamati, Pankhali in Khulna, and Nafanagar in Dinajpur. These villages are being developed under the 'SDG Village' initiative, aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The minister noted that despite Bangladesh's 55 years of independence, the country has relatively few notable achievements in tourism development. She expressed optimism about the sector's future and called for the cooperation of all stakeholders to turn the vision into reality.
The seminar, titled 'Public-Private Partnership and Awareness Building for the Promotion of Eco-Tourism,' discussed the importance and current state of eco-tourism in Bangladesh, the challenges to its development, and future action plans. Key speakers included Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhtar, who mentioned the initiation of work on the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) to address data gaps in the tourism sector, and Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md Samimuzzaman, who attended as a special guest.
Prof Dr Md Wasiul Islam of Khulna University's Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline presented the keynote paper, emphasizing the need for stronger stakeholder cooperation to overcome past coordination issues and accelerate the development of the tourism sector. The seminar also underscored the importance of eco-tourism as a sustainable development strategy.
As part of the government's efforts, several initiatives have already been taken to develop the tourism sector during the first five months of the current administration. The minister stressed the importance of determining priorities and ensuring regular meetings with private-sector stakeholders to bridge any information gaps. The ultimate goal is to position Bangladesh as a leading tourism hub, in line with the electoral commitments of the government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
