The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mohammad Shahidul Islam

For those who would be fond of a destination for eco-tourism, Bangladesh is truly hard to beat. For a small country in South Asia that is only 144,470 square kilometers, there is definitely a lot to see, enjoy and do here. Bangladesh means 'Country of Bonga [ancient name of Bangladesh]' in English, whose language and independence had been gained after an enormous bloodshed in 1952 and 1971. Located between India to the north and the west and Myanmar to a small part of the southeast, Bangladesh is one of the most beautiful and prosperous South Asian countries. There are tropical beach resorts on the Bay of Bengal coast of the country for sun vacationers but superlatively the main attraction of Bangladesh should be inarguably the eco-tourism. For example, there are a wider variety of animals, birds, forests, mountains and aquatic resources in Bangladesh alone than in some other countries of South Asia.

Surprisingly, there are diverse eco-systems and all 6 seasons within Bangladesh. In addition, Cox's Bazaar beach, there are jungles and forests with a wide variety of flora and fauna. Some of forests in Chittagong Hill Tracts are referred to as cloud forests because of the moisture of the mists that linger among the trees in some parts. The forests in Bandarban are going to experience a cable car set up so that tourists can observe the plant and animal life at the treetop levels. For the more adventurous types, there are some places which are building for tourists for swinging from tree to tree using a network of rope attachments. There are also dry forests in some parts of Chittagong. Quite extreme changes in all 6 seasons can be observed even within 1/2 months of interval. Some parts of the country have canal systems similar to those found in the Amazon and a few rivers offer excellent white water rafting.

In addition to the many different birds that can be sighted, there is a wide number of other exotic wildlife including Royal Bengal tigers, monkeys, jaguars, bats, deer and reptiles that can be seen during one of the many available nature tours in Sundarbans, the world largest mangrove forest and World Heritage Site. Every year, there are sea turtles and oysters that come to certain beaches to nest and this event attracts many nature lovers. The wildlife in Bangladesh is not only rich on land or the air but also in the Bay of Bengal and in its mighty rivers. For scuba divers, Saint Martin may offer excellent diving opportunities and they would be quite different from the waters in the Caribbean.

Tea and Mangoes are some of the main exports for Bangladesh. For tea lovers, this is the place to sample some of the best in the world. The foreign visitors are invited to taste tea that is a bit strong. Tours in the valleys of Sylhet will often go thrilled in numerous tea plantations. Rajshahi is a paradise for mango orchards. Tourists would definitely hesitate to leave such vegetations with millions of sweetest mangoes.

Most tourists will fly into the capital city of Dhaka. There is some nice ancient architectures to see in Dhaka. It is one of the nicer places to stay in Bangladesh. It is a city of mosques and branded 5 star hotels. One can use Dhaka as a base for many day trips to the various mountains, historic places and beaches. Travelers can also fly into Chittagong which is a town in the south part of the country and is full of gereeneries. This is a much quieter region and close to many of the southern resorts. One option that many travelers take is to rent a vehicle and tour the country on their own. The roads of Bangladesh are more or less good. If renting a vehicle, a 4x4 is definitely recommended.

There is so much to see and do in Bangladesh that many visitors return to see green parts of the country that they missed before. The country is easily the most popular eco-destination to visit in South Asia.

Theories of change

Michael Tomasky