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Chapter 1 : Bangladesh Tourism Introduction

Course objectives : This chapter is dedicated to the learning of basic issues of Bangladesh
tourism. The students can learn the following issues :

 A brief history of Bangladesh tourism

 Location and geography of Bangladesh
 Branded geographical spots of Bangladesh
 Components of Bangladesh tourism
 SWOT analysis of Bangladesh tourism.

Whenever we intend to learn about the overall tourism of a region or a country, we have to
know in brief about the history, location and physical features, geography and human geography,
climate, culture, demography and other basic features of the region. The following paragraphs
will be discussing about some basic characteristics of Bangladesh in relation to its tourism
sector.

Travel before Tourism :

In the past, the system of tourism was not as like as present. In the medieval time, tourists went
from one empire to another and Travel is one of the most ancient and common aspects of human
life and it can be traced back to mythical times. The earliest forms of leisure tourism can be
identified as far back as the Babylonian & Egyptian empires. Ancient people of Egypt, Babylon,
Crete, Greece and also the Jews regarded their countries as the centre of world and invited the
neighbours and other people to travel to their countries and exchanged goods, shared experience
and build up spiritual life (Branislav Rabotić College of Tourism, 2014) .
A museum was open to the public in the sixth century B.C. in Babylon, while Egyptian held
many religious festivals attracting not only the devout, but many who came to see the famous
buildings and works of art in the cities. The local towns accommodated tourists by providing
services such as ; vendors of food & drink, guides, hawkers of souvenirs, touts and even the
prostitute. From around the same date, Greek tourists travelled to visit the sites of healing gods.

The Royal visitors would receive hospitality of the Kings in royal places. They also received
many gifts from the kings and would give them. The kings sent gifts to other kings through the
tourists to increase their dignity and honor. Ibn Batu ta received many gifts from the kings of the
subcontinent and praised one to another.

So the kings became encouraged and would give tourists much wealth, property & gifts and
adorned with various tittles. There were many people in a mountain pass named "Khaibar" who
would bartered commercial gifts with the tourists.
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Bangladesh Travel and Tourism : A brief history

The history of Bangladesh has been one of extremes, of turmoil and peace, prosperity and
destitution.  It has thrived under the glow of cultural splendor and suffered under the ravages of
war.  The earliest mention of Bangladesh is found in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata (the story
of Great Battle-9th century B.C). Evidence also suggests that there was a strong Mongoloid
presence as well.  Soon after, in the 5th and 6th centuries B.C. came the Aryans from Central
Asia and the Dravidians from Western India.  Then came the Guptas, Palas, Senas, who were
Buddhist and Hindus.

The Muslim rule in Bengal had its beginning in the opening years of the thirteenth century (1204
AD). Long before this, the Arab Muslims had contact with Bengal, which was primarily
commercial and religious in nature and limited to the coastal regions. From the 13th century
A.D. the flood of Muslim preachers and the tide of Islam swamped the Buddhist and Hindu
kings and rulers.  From 15th century the Europeans, namely; Portuguese, Dutch, French and      
British traders exerted an economic influence over the region.  British political rule over the
region began in 1757 A.D. when the last Muslim ruler of Bengal, Siraj ud dowla was defeated at
Plassey.  In 1947 the country was partitioned into India and Pakistan.  Present Bangladesh
becomes the Eastern Wing of the then Pakistan.  But the movement for autonomy for East
Pakistan started within a couple of years because of language and cultural difference and
economic disparity between the two wings. The seeds of independence were sown through the
Language Movement of 1952 to recognize Bangla as a state language.  Ultimately the then East
Pakistan emerged as a sovereign and independent state of Bangladesh in 1971 after nine month –
long war of Liberation (starting on 26 March 1971) in which 3 million people courted
martyrdom (Banglapedia,2015)

Historically, several globe trotters visited Bangladesh of whom the followings are world famous
travelers in whose writings we get some old pictures of Bangladesh :

Visitors to Bangladesh:

1. Ibn Battuta (1345)

2. NicholusPisento& Lewis Vertomannus (1503)
3. Caesar Frederick (1565)
4. Ralph Fitch, Methold (16century)
5. Francois Berneir (1666)

Location and Physical features of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is situated in the north-eastern part of south Asia. Bangladesh sits in between 24° 00'
North latitude and 90° 00' East longitude. The great Himalayas stand as the northen ramparts,
while the southern frontier is guarded by the Bay of Bengal. On the west lies the expansive
Gangetic plains (West Bengal) of India and on the eastern frontier lies the almost impassable
forest of Myanmar (Arakan Province) and India (Tripura and Assam hills).  These picturesque
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geographical boundaries color out a low lying plain of about 147,570 sq.km, a little more than
the size of Greece, criss-crossed by innumerable rivers, rivulets, tributaries, and streams. Mighty
rivers the Padma, Jamuna, Meghna, Karnaphuli and others flow through Bangladesh. The
endless blue is stretched high above, and the green and silvery landscape below runs far and
beyond.  This is Bangladesh, a fertile land where nature is bounteous (Quora, retrieved July,
2018)

Bangladesh is a deltaic region.  Much of the country’s land area has been built up from alluvial
deposits brought down by the major rivers.  The land is mostly flat except for a range of hills in
the south-east.  Wooded marshy lands and jungles mainly characterize it with forest regions in
Sylhet, Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban Hill Tracts, Sundarbans, Mymensingh and
Tangail.

Geography of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a low-lying, riverine country located in South Asia with a largely marshy jungle
coastline of 710 km (441 mi) on the northern coastal reghion of the Bay of Bengal. The main
land is a delta plain at the confluence of the Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna), and
Meghna Rivers and their tributaries, Bangladesh's alluvial soil is highly fertile, but the land is
vulnerable to flood, flash flood and also drought. Hills rise above the plain land only in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts in the far southeast and the Sylhet division in the northeast. A region
being on the Tropic of Cancer, Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate characterized by
heavy seasonal rainfall, high temperatures, and high humidity. Natural disasters, such as floods,
tornadoes, and tidal bores are the common phenomena of the country.

Physical geography

Satellite photographs (from Terra-MODIS) and computer-generated models help visualize

Bangladesh's place in the world. Located in South Asia, it is virtually surrounded by India and
the Bay of Bengal to the south. But in many ways, the country's fate is dominated by the world's
highest mountain range in the north-the Himalayas.
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Source : NASA satellite Image of Bangladesh's physical features

The physical geography of Bangladesh is varied and has an area characterized by two distinctive
features: a broad deltaicplain subject to frequent flooding, and a small hilly region crossed by
swiftly flowing rivers and mighty waterfalls. The country has an area of 147,570 square
kilometers and extends 820 kilometers north to south and 600 kilometers east to west. The
present population (2018) is 166,368,149. (Wikipedia. Geography of Bangladesh. 2018).
Bangladesh is bordered on the west, north, and east by a 4,095-kilometer land frontier with India
and, in the southeast, by a short land and water frontier (193 km) with Burma (Myanmar). On the
south is a highly irregular deltaic coastline of about 580 kilometers, fissured by many rivers and
streams flowing into the Bay of Bengal. About 10,000 square kilometers of the total area of
Bangladesh is covered with water, and larger areas are routinely flooded during the monsoon
season. About 67% of Bangladesh's nonurban land is arable. Forests and woodland cover about
17%.

The only exceptions to Bangladesh's low elevations are the Chittagong Hills in the southeast, the
Low Hills of Sylhet in the northeast, and highlands in the north and northwest. The Chittagong
Hills constitute the only significant hill system in the country. The Chittagong Hills rise steeply
to narrow ridge lines, generally no wider than 36 meters, with altitudes from 600 to 900 meters
above sea level. At 1,052 meters altitude, the highest elevation in Bangladesh is found at
Mowdok Mual, in the district of Bandarban. (Assignment Point, retrieved July, 2018, Rashid,
Haroun Er (1991)

Human geography

Bangladesh is a large and heavily densely populated country in South Asia, bordering Burma,
India, Nepal and Bhutan. Bangladesh has an estimated 2018 population of 166.37 million. This
makes Bangladesh the 9th most populous country in the world. The country has a population
density of 1,115.62 people per square kilometer,(2,889.45/square mile), which ranks 10th in the
world.
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The capital and largest city of Bangladesh is Dhaka, which has a population of 14.4 million. The
next-largest city is Chittagong, with a population of 2.6 million. (World Population
Review,2018).

Branded Amazing Geographical tourism spots/destinations

Bangladesh is a land of scenic beauty. The country is blessed with natural beauty which attracts
the tourists. It has beautiful beaches as well as the longest beach in the world. It is proud of its
beautiful heritage and historical relics. To make best use of the natural gift, the country has
developed facilities of modern hotels, motels, rest houses, and restaurants, as well as modern
modes of communication, are available at all tourist attractions. The following geographical
regions show the home of major touristic attractions :

Dhaka – The City of Mosques; The city of cycle rickshaws

Narsingdi – Site of the ancient fort city named Wari-Bateshwar dating back to 450BC.
Chittagong – Gateway to the Bay of Bengal;
Cox’s Bazar – The Tourist Capital; Home of the largest unbroken sea beach of the world.
Rangamati – The Lake city;
Sylhet – Land of Two Leaves and a Bud;
Sundarban– Home of the Royal Bengal Tiger; the Largest Mangrove forest in the world.
Bandarban – The Hilly Resort; Colorful tribal culture
Khagrachhari ---Home of Wild Elephants
Kuakata – Where the Sun Rises and Sets in the Sea;
Mainamati – Seat of Lost Dynasties;
Bogra – Mahasthangarh, the Ancient Seat of Buddhist Rule;
Rajshahi – The Silk Producing Centre;
Natore – Place of Dighapatiay Palace:
Naogaon – Paharpur, the largest Seat of Buddhist Learning in the world;
Gopal gonj - Tomb of the Father of the nation.
Dinajpur – Old Ornamental Temple Town;
Jhalakathi - the place of largest agri-floating market.
Mymensing – The Heart of Bengal’s Folklore.

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) is an autonomous government organization that caters to

the needs of local and foreign tourists. BPC has tourist facilities at Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar,
Chittagong, Rangpur, Rangamati, Rashahi, Bogra, Dinajpur, Kuakata, Sylhet and Sundarban. It
organizes package tours, sightseeing trips and excursions. A number of private sector tour
operators are also active in the country.
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Components of Bangladesh Tourism Industry

1. Transportation:
The transport sector of Bangladesh consists of a variety of modes. The country being a flat plain,
all three modes of surface transport, i.e. road, railway and water are widely used in carrying both
passengers and cargo. 
More than half of Bangladesh has access to an all-weather hard surface road within 3 miles
distance. There has been a dramatic expansion of road network in recent years. In 1947 there
were only 461.8 kilometers of metallic roads. In 1997, the total length of paved road under the
Roads and Highways Department stood at more than 21,000 kilometers. However, total length of
all types of road (as per 2018) is 353074.06 kilometers ; out of which 104478.48 kilometers of
road is paved. It is estimated that mechanized road transport carry about 70% of the country's
total passenger and cargo volume.
In recent years, construction of a number of bridges such as the Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge,
Meghna Bridge, Meghna-Gumti Bridge, Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge, Shambhuganj
Bridge and Mahananda Bridge have been completed. The 4.8 km long Bangabandhu Bridge
which has been opened to traffic in June, 1998, is the eleventh longest in the world. It has
established a strategic link between the East and the West of Bangladesh has integrated the
country, is generating multifaceted benefits to the people and promoting inter-regional trade.
Apart from quick movement of goods and passenger traffic, it is faci1itating transmission of
electricity and natural gas and has integrated the telecommunication links. 
About 32% of the total area of Bangladesh is effectively covered by the railways. State-owned
Bangladesh Railway operates a track of 2706 kilometer, employs about 60,000 people, owns a
fleet of 307 locomotives, 1240 coaching vehicles and I L643 freight wagons, and provides
passenger and cargo services through 502 stations.
About two-thirds of Bangladesh is a wetland laced with a dense network of rivers, canals and
creeks. Water transport is the only means available in nearly 10% of' the total area. The
navigable waterways vary from 8372 kilometer during the monsoon to 5200 kilometer during the
dry season. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority has been established by the
government for maintenance of navigability of ports and channels while the state-owned BIWTC
provide passenger and cargo services in inland waterways and coastal areas of the country.
The entire coast along the Bay of Bengal is 710 kilometer long. There are two major ports in the
country. Chittagong, the oldest port, has been an entry-port for at least 1000 years. The Mongla
port in Khulna region serves the western part of Bangladesh. 

There are now 11 operational airports in Bangladesh. These are Dhaka, Barisal. Chittagomig.
Comilla, Cox' s Bazar, Ishurdi, Jessore, Rajshahi, Syedpur, Sylhet and Thakurgaon. Of these, the
airports at Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet serve international routes. Air careo and Short Take-off
and Landing (STOL) services have been opened to the private sector by the government.
The Civil Aviation Authority is a public sector entity entrusted to construct, maintain and
supervise airports and regulate air traffic. The national flag carrier Biman used to fly to 26
international destinations but now it has shrinked the destinations near to 15. However, Biman
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flies almost to all the domestic destinations. In the following paragraphs, we discuss about
different transport media of Bangladesh.

Airlines in Bangladesh:
As per Wikipedia, Bangladesh currently has six domestic airlines which have an Air Operator
Certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh : : Biman Bangladesh, United
Airways, Hello Air (Bd), Novo Air, Regent Air, and Us-Bangla Airlines (Wikipedia, retrieved
June, 2018).

The following is the Division wise list of airports in Bangladesh, grouped by type and sorted by
location. All airports are operated and maintained by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh
under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. Few of them are also used for military and
training purposes by the Bangladesh Armed Forces.

Bangladesh has 3 international airports, 6 domestic airports and 6 STOL (Short Take-off and
Landing) ports, with 1 new domestic airport under construction. It also has several airstrips,
some built during World War II.

Barisal Division

Location
Airport Name Category Role
served

Barisal Barisal Airport Domestic Commercial

Unused
Patuakhali Patuakhali Airport Closed
Airport

Chittagong Division

Location
Airport Name Category Role
served

Shah Amanat
Chittagong International Commercial
International Airport

Cox's Bazar Cox's Bazar Airport Domestic Commercial

No Scheduled
Comilla Comilla Airport STOLport
Flights

(Under
Noakhali Noakhali Air Field Future
Construction)

Dohazari Dohazari Airfield Military Closed

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Location
Airport Name Category Role
served

Airbase

Military
Chakaria Chakaria Airport Closed
Airbase

Military
Feni Fenny Airfield Closed
Airbase

Hathazari Hathazari Airfield Military Closed

Airbase

Dhaka Division

Location
Airport Name Category Role
served

Shahjalal International
Dhaka International Commercial
Airport

No Scheduled
Tejgaon Tejgaon Airport Domestic
Flights

Unused
Bajitpur Bajitpur Airport Closed
Airport

Unused
Tangail Tangail Airport Closed
Airport

Khulna Division

Location
Airport Name Category Role
served

(Under
Bagerhat Khan Jahan Ali Airport Future
Construction)

Jessore Jessore Airport Domestic Commercial

Rajshahi Division
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Location
Airport Name Category Role
served

Ishwardi
Ishwardi Airport Domestic Closed
(Ishurdi)

Rajshahi Shah Makhdum Airport Domestic Commercial

No Scheduled
Bogra Bogra Airport STOLport
Flights

Unused
Sirajganj Sirajganj Airport Closed
Airport

Rangpur Division

Location
Airport Name Category Role
served

Saidpur Saidpur Airport Domestic Commercial

No Scheduled
Lalmonirhat Lalmonirhat Airport STOLport
Flights

No Scheduled
Thakurgaon Thakurgaon Airport STOLport
Flights

Sylhet Division

Location
Airport Name Category Role
served

Osmani International
Sylhet International Commercial
Airport

No Scheduled
Kamalganj Shamshernagar Airport STOLport
Flights

Source : Adopted from Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Bangladesh

Railways in Bangladesh:
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Nationally operated Bangladesh Railway provides an efficient service throughout Bangladesh.

The inter city Express Service is available to and from all important cities. Local trains serve in
cheaper rates.

The Calcutta-Ranaghat section of the Eastern Bengal Railway was commissioned in September
1862 and it was spreaded up to Darsana-Jagati section, which was opened to traffic in
November 1862 as a broad gauge (1676 mm) line. This was the beginning of the history of
railway in British-Bangladesh

The state run railway of Bangladesh is known as Bangladesh Railway (BR). The Bangladesh
Railway system has a total length of 2,855 route km. In 2009, Bangladesh Railway had 34,168
employees which is now about 60,000. In 2014, Bangladesh Railway carried 65 million
passengers and 2.52 million tonnes of freight. (Bangladesh Railways)
The recent introduction of computerized ticketing has made the purchase of train tickets from
major stations far less of a headache than it used to be.

Roads and Highways :

Among the various modes of transport, road transport system is playing a significant role in
transporting passengers and goods in Bangladesh. The Roads and Highways Department (RHD)
manages different categories of road. RHD has total length of 20,948 km road under its control.
RHD also control a total number of 4,659 bridges and 6,122 culverts. RHD are currently
operating about 161 ferry boats in 81 crossings (13 on national highways, 11 on regional
highways and 57 on feeder roads) on its road network throughout the country.

Car Rental in Bangladesh:

Private car hire service is available in Dhaka and some other major cities. Bangladesh Parjatan
Corporation (BPC), a government organization, has a fleet of air-conditioned and non air-
conditioned cars, microbuses and jeeps. Besides they offer transfer service for tourists between
Dhaka airport and main city points or hotels.
Travelling by car has two possibilities: either you’ll be driving your own vehicle or you’ll be the
passenger in a rental car, which comes complete with its own driver.
Self-drive rental cars are not available in Bangladesh..
In Dhaka there are innumerable companies in the rental business. Recently Uber and Pathao and
some other small companies have started car renting services through internet Apps in big cities.
Outside Dhaka, the cost of renting vehicles is often marginally less, but actually finding an
available car and driver is harder..

Waterways in Bangladesh:
The river is the traditional means of transport in a country that has more than 8000 km of
navigable rivers, though schedules, even for the ferries crossing the innumerable rivers, are prone
to disruption. During the monsoon, rivers become very turbulent and flooding might mean
relocation of ghats (landings); during the dry season, riverbeds choked with silt can make routes
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impassable. Winter fogs can cause delays, and mechanical problems on the often poorly
maintained boats are not unknown.
The main routes are covered by the Bangladesh Inland Waterway Transport Corporation
(BIWTC), but there are many private companies operating on shorter routes and some competing
with the BIWTC on the main ones.

2. Accommodation:
Accommodation is one of the most significant factors to have contributed to the development of
tourism world-wide and the absence of which may put off the tourists from travelling.
The accommodation sector provides an enormous variety of accommodation types to suit a wide
range of visitors. Accommodation ranges from luxury 5 star hotels to camping grounds where
the visitor is provided with a patch of ground on which to pitch a tent. Classification of different
types of accommodation is very difficult as they can mean something different in another
country. In the USA, for example, the meaning for an ‘inn’ is hotel or motel style
accommodation usually operated by a chain e.g. Holiday Inns. In Britain, and ‘inn’ would
describe pub-style accommodation offering bed and breakfast style accommodation.
In Bangladesh there is no official classification system of accommodation units nor any
published hotel guide of Bangladesh is available, but we mostly see grading system hotel
accommodation like 5star,3star,2star,deluxe,first class and other category (including motels, rest
house etc). There are many grading systems recognized by visitors and the accommodation
industry. Grading Systems are used to encourage and ensure a consistency of quality.
The most recognizable of these grading systems is the “star” system where individual
accommodation is rated depending on its levels of service, cleanliness, décor and facilities. For
instance most people recognize that a 5 star hotel will have excellent service, be exceptionally
clean and tidy with housekeeping staff on call 24 hours, have up to date, luxurious décor and
have a wide range of facilities on offer. A 3 star hotel on the other hand will have fewer
facilities, less luxurious décor and more limited service..
The records of BPC show that, all the 5-star, 4-star and 3-star hotels are located in Dhaka,
Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet, Khulna, Barisal, and Rajshahi. According to a latest study
done by the author, there are about 2340 hotels and other accommodation units of different sizes
across the country (Hasan,S R ,2018).

3. Attractions:
Bangladesh is a country with lots of places to visit, many of which offer unforgettable
experiences but remain relatively unknown to the rest of the world.
 Dhaka (the Capital) is a conglomerate of old buildings, parks, mosques, educational
institutions, lakes, culinary outlets. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It
has a number of attractions for the tourists. They include, but are not limited to, the Lalbagh fort,
Ahsan Manjil, Shaheed Minar, Boro Katra, Choto Katra, the National Museum, Jatiyo Sangshad
Bhaban(the Parliament Building) etc. The Suhrawardy Uddan and the Ramna Park are two parks
that provide green respite to city dwellers. Other tourist attractions include places like Baitul
Mukarram (national mosque), the Dhakeswari temple (national Hindu temple) the High Court
Building, the Bangabandhu Museum, Hatir jheel lake etc. If you're visiting only one thing, then
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the Lalbagh fort is a must-see, in the older part of town. The older part of Dhaka, known as
"Puran Dhaka", is literally a city of history, with hundred-year-old buildings crammed on each
side of hundreds of narrow lanes. Each "Moholla" (city block) of Puran Dhaka is unique with its
nababi food, specialized shops and artisans and gives an authentic taste of what Dhaka is all
about.
 The rest of Bangladesh is also ornamented with thousands of gems, most of which remain
hidden and await exploration. The names are endless, but the prominent ones include,
Mainamoti, Paharpur (Shompur Bihar), Mahasthangarh, Kantajiur temple, Ramshagor,
Shatgombuj mosque, Khanjahan Ali's Shrine, Shrine of Shahjalal etc. These sites offer
architectures from various eras of the country's history, including Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim
eras and date back thousand years.
 The natural beauty of Bangladesh can be explored away from the hustle and bustle of
Dhaka, the Capital. (Bangladesh has world longest unbroken Surfing beach in Cox's Bazaar).
Also, it has the largest mangrove forest in the world, the "Sundarbans". The hill tracts of
Rangamati, Khagrachori and "Bandarban" offer exciting trekking opportunities, while the Kaptai
lake (situated amongst the hills of Rangamati) can be considered a romantic getaway. The
villages are the true countryside of Bangladesh and almost always have green paddy fields and
yellow mustard fields with flowing rivers. Other natural wonders of Bangladesh include the
Padma (Ganges) river, the Madhabkunda, Jaflong, the tea gardens of Sylhet/Sreemangal and
Moulovibazar, etc.

4. Food & beverage in Bangladesh:

Tasting the delicious Bangladesh cuisine spiced up with hot curry powder is a must on your
Bangladesh tourism. “Reaching someone’s heart through his stomach” – this popular adage is
hundred percent true with the Bangladeshi people. They know the art of satisfying the guests
through offering varieties of ‘watering mouth and tearing eyes’ menu items enriched with
magnificent aroma and flavor.
A typical Bangladeshi meal consists of rice and fish. However, beef, mutton, prawn, chicken,
egg and vegetables cooked in a hot spicy sauce, yellow watery lentils (dal) and plain rice are
very much common food for the Bangali people. Side by side, the traditional rich Mughlai
cuisine is also very popular in Bangladesh. Murg pulao, mutton pulao, beef vuna, kabab, buti
kabab, shuti kabab, chaap and chops, biriyani, tehari, naan roti, parata, mughlai parata, korma,
rezala and many other mughlai cuisine are very popular in this country. Apart from these, Thai,
Chinese, Indian, Brazilian and other western foods are also well welcomed here. Alcoholic
drinks are not widely available; however, may be available in licensed star hotels and bars. All
types of foreign and domestic soft drinks and safe bottled water are conveniently available.
Fast food restaurants and bakeries are also very common in cities and touristic destinations.
Dessert : A common dessert made with rice, milk, eggs, sugar or carrots, sooji, almond and
pistachio are the most common desserts. Sandesh-a milk based sweet meat, zarda- a sweetened
rice with nuts, firni- rice flour cooked in milk, sugar and flavouring, Rasgolla and Kalojam-two
popular milk based dessert and made with sugar,flour and ghee and Rosh Malai-round sweets
floating in thick milk are almost a passion with Bangladeshis. Pithas-a blanket term for cakes or
pastries of different indigenous varieties such as chitoi, dhupi, vapaPuli and Pua and vapa pitha
are popular winter time heats.
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4.Entertainment:
Cinema : Dhaka has some excellent air conditioned cinema halls which screen British.
American, continental and Bangladeshi films. Many of the district towns have their own cinema
halls.

Theatre : In post – liberation Bangladesh, theatre gained unprecedented momentum. Bengali and
Bengali transition of western plays are staged frequently. The non professional theatre groups
that were formed after liberations include Dhaka Theatre, Nagarik Nattya Sampraday, Aranyak
Natydal, Dhaka Padatik, Theatre groups and many others. Theatres are staged regularly at
Mahila Samiti Manch, Shilpa Kala Academy and the University of Dhaka.
In Bangladesh, street Drama has been mainly influenced by folk song, folk dance and Jatras that
are staged in open places mainly in rural areas on different occasions.

Fairs and festivals : Fairs and festivals have always played a significant role in the life of the
citizens of this country. They derive from them a great amount of joy, entertainment and color
for life. While most of the festivals have sprung from religious rituals, the fairs have their roots
in the very heart of the people, irrespective of religion, caste or creed. The biggest Muslim
festivals is Eidul Fitr. Next comes Eid ul Azha. Other widely celebrated Muslim festivals are Eid
e Miladunabi, Shab - e - Barat, Ashura (10th day of Lunar Month, Muharram), and Jamt ul wida.
Festivals like Durga Puja, Saraswati puja, Holi, Rath puja etc. of the Hindus, Christmas of the
Christians, Buddha Purnima of the Buddhists are also celebrated with equal fervor. Among the
nonreligious festivals Bengali New Year's Day (14 April), Victory Day (16th December) and
Independence day (26th March) are celebrated nationwide. All these festivals are marked as
public holidays. Other national holidays are 21st February (National Mourning Day in memory
of the martyrs of Language movement), and 1st May.
Dance : Classical forms of the sub continent predominate in Bangladeshi dance. The folk, tribal
and Middle Eastern traits are also common. Among the tribal dances, particularly popular are
Monipur and Santal.
Music : The music in Bangladesh can be divided into three distinct categories classical, folk and
modern. The classical music, both vocal and instrumental is rooted in the remote past of the sub
continent. Ustad Alauddin Khan and Ustad Ayet Ali Khan are two names in classical instrument
music who are internationally known. Folk song nurtured through the ages by village singers and
poets, rich in devotional mystical and is widely popular in Bangladesh. The best known forms
are Bhatiali, Baul, Marfati, Murshidi and Bhawaiya. Lalan, Hasan Raja, Abbasuddin and Abdul
Alim are four great manes in flok song.

5. Shopping:
Though not very rich, shopping is another activity of Bangladesh tourism. Some of the best buys
in Bangladesh include pink pearl, gold and silver ornaments, brass and copperware items, etc.
Bangladesh is indeed a good shoppers' place for rich traditional handicrafts at throw away prices.
While muslin of ancient Dhaka has gone into history, Jamdani sari is very popular even to the
foreigners for its unique design and texture. Other products such as contemporary paintings,
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wood works, shital pati (mattress having cooling effect), bamboo decoration pieces, cane and
conch shell products, gold and silver ornament, cotton, silk, gold, silver, jute, reed, brassware,
traditional dolls and leather goods also receive deep appreciation of the lovers of arts and crafts.

Duty- free Shopping: Duty free sales and display centers run by Bangladesh Parjatan
Corporation (NTO) are located in Dhaka, Zia International Airport, Mohakhali and Sylhet
Airport. These shops enjoy the reputation of being well established with a wide range of goods at
reasonable prices. Goods available include wines and spirits, perfumes, cigarettes, hi-fi stereo
and audio-visual equipments, cameras, watches and a range of household appliances. All
purchases must be paid for in foreign currency.

Shopping Centers: There are many large shopping centers in Dhaka and other big cities. The
most famous state of art shopping centers are Bashundhara shopping mall, Jamuna shopping
center, Rapa Plaza, Eastern Plaza, Eastern Mollica, Dhaka Stadium Shopping Arcade etc.
However, the most spacious and open sky shopping arcade is Dhaka New Market which has
been created during erstwhile Pakistan and still preferred by hundreds and thousands of buyers
and strollers. Most of the star hotels have their own shopping arcades and there are many
handicraft shops in Dhaka and other towns.

7. Nightlife in Bangladesh:
What is your perception about the term ‘night life’? If you think the term night life as you find it
in western and many eastern countries, then definitely your expectation will be frustrating while
you are in Bangladesh. If you're looking for a crazy night of dancing until dawn at a sweaty
nightclub, Dhaka may not be the best city for you. That's not to say that it doesn't have great bars
and places to enjoy a good drink, but you're more likely to find a place to enjoy a spectacular
dance performance or some live fusion music, which usually provide a more memorable
experience for visitors on their evenings out (arrivalguides. 2016.)

One of the commentators commented in some review blogs, “Nightlife in Bangladesh really
means hanging out with family or friends to eat food and "gossip" (that is, to chat). Other kinds
of nightlife can found be, but they are not common. It is not at all common for people to go out
for a beer.

Very few places sell alcohol. Five-star hotels do, and some foul places do, but one will not find
beer or other drinks in the vast majority of stores, hotels, restaurants, or clubs. Only in three
cities, one can find places where alcohol is served semi-openly in star hotels of Dhaka,
Chittagong, and Cox's Bazar.
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It's easy to make friends, but if you're male, these will be male friends and almost all of their
hanging out and nightlife will be with other men--snacking, chatting, laughing, and having fun
but very little chance to meet girls or dance with girls”.

Bangladesh society is holding a unique characteristics of having an admixture of

conservativeness and openness too. Therefore, the tourists will not be frustrated with nightlife of
Dhaka and other big cities. Leading hotels here have bars, but western-style nightclubs do not
exist. The Westin hotel in Dhaka has a bar that offers live music and an open-air terrace. The Pan
Pacific Sonargaon hotel offers disco nights and the Balcony Bar which serves imported drinks.
The Radisson Water Garden Hotel has the ‘Blaze Entertainment Lounge and Bar’ which has
some offerings of live entertainment and billiards. Some of the domestic and international clubs
are a good choice for drinks and entertainment, but someone need to be a member or to be
invited. The traditional Dhaka Club, Gulshan Club are famous for elites’ gathering centers.
Almost all the professional bodies have their own clubs. In addition, there are many good and
expensive restaurants who serve the people till mid night.

Tourism in Bangladesh: SWOT Analysis

1. Strengths:
Industry experts insist that promoting tourism should be based on our strengths. We should
definitely exploit factors created by geographical diversity and the exotic tribal life in some parts
of the country. The strengths of tourism are as follows:
 Bangladesh has the potential and resources to create innovative tourist destinations which
will pull people from other nations. 25 big rivers of Bangladesh can easily be turned into
haunts for water sports and adventure, varieties of entertainment with the beauty of
rivers.
 In Bangladesh there are different appealing spots for the eco-tourists.
 The country possesses some unique archaeological sites, cultural heritage and eco-
tourism products like the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, the world’s
longest unbroken sea beach in Cox’s Bazar (120 km), world’s largest buddhist
archaeological site- Paharpur and largest terracotta temple - Kantajiu Temple in
Dinajpur, and spectacular monuments and mausoleums of language movement and
liberation war of the country.
 There are many tribal groups in different areas of Bangladesh. Each has its own culture,
social structure and lifestyle. Not many parts of the world boast such diversity.
 People of Bangladesh are generally very hospitable and tourist friendly.
 Domestic tourism is increasing steadily. Due to rise in per capita income and two-day
holiday in the week, the trend of moving out for recreation has increased mainly among
the middle class people of the society.
 Awareness about tourist attractions among the local community is increasing.
 Communication and transport system has been developed from north to south, east to
west.
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2. Weaknesses:
Tourism- the globally recognized tool for poverty alleviation is yet to be recognized by
the policy makers of Bangladesh. Many of the countries are making all out efforts to develop
tourism and boost foreign currency revenue. Due to lack of initiative from the appropriate
authority, Bangladesh still remains as one of the most backward countries in the world in
tourism sector. The weaknesses are as follows :
 The country suffers from image crisis. The country continues to remain as an unknown
destination to the tourist generating countries.
 There is huge shortage in properly skilled human resources. At the moment, the industry
is suffering from a huge crisis of skilled human resources in the hospitality sectors and
tour operation sectors, especially in tour guiding. Due to the deficiency in human
resources it has become very difficult to smoothly run tourism businesses.
 Due to absence of a proper tourism law, the tour operators or other tourism service
providers cannot be punished for any mishandling of tourists. Also owing to absence of
law, tourism products cannot be protected or conserved.
 One of the biggest hurdles is the lack of proper infrastructure in the country which has
made operating tour guides and other excursions a hectic and unprofitable feat.
 Frequent changes of officials in the BTB and BPC’s management and also in the
ministry.
 Absence of representation of civil society in different authoritative boards and
committees
 Inadequate revenue budget for the promotion of tourism development in the country.
 Absence of an appropriate time-demanding policy direction.
 Non-technical hands or institutions are involved in tourism related laws and legislations
making process..

3. Opportunities:
 It is easy to implement eco-tourism, riverine tourism, and spiritual tourism, as the country
possesses enough opportunity to develop these types of tourism.
 Government has formulated favorable foreign investment policy to attract overseas
investors in readymade garments, leather goods, natural gas and petroleum sector and and
also liberal policy for joint venture investment in tourism sector.
 As there are hundreds of rivers crisscrossing Bangladesh, immense potentiality exists for
development of river based tourism in Bangladesh.
 Bangladesh’s geographical location is strategic in South Asia.
 Tourism generates jobs directly through hotels, restaurants, taxis, souvenir sales and
indirectly through the supply of goods and services needed by tourism-related businesses.
 Tourism can play a crucial role in stabilizing a country’s’ balance of payment situation.
60 to 90 per cent of the foreign exchange the country earns through the RMG export
leaks out of the country eventually to pay for all the raw materials and accessories
needed for production. In tourism, it is not irrational to assume that foreign exchange
retention could be as high as 100 per cent.
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4. Threats:

 Unstable political situation created a bad image abroad, which may be considered as one
of the  biggest threat for development of tourism industry overseas.
 Continuous campaign against Bangladesh by certain quarters as a fundamentalist country
is another obstacle.
 Unholy alliance between the trade union and political leaders, which disrupts
labor discipline.
 Politicization of administration
 The lack of a proper tourism authority in Bangladesh has been a big deterrent factor
for the industry. Although there are BTB and BPC, but there exists a tug-of-war in
between these two organizations over some basic and fundamental administrative issues.
 Unprecedented traffic jam on the streets.
 Rapid growth of population is another big problem. Bangladesh is the most
over- populated country of the world.
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