The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shamim Jahangir

Despite huge prospect to earn foreign currency from tourism sector, all the successive governments have failed to take proper steps to promote the sector in the national development efforts.

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) has got received any fund yet from the government to run its activities during the current fiscal.

In 1999, a total of 1,72,781 foreigners came to visit Bangladesh. Since than the numbers of visitors have been steadily increasing reaching almost 3 lakh a year. In January 2008 alone 39,345 foreigners visited the country.

The government had earned Tk 2,451.90 million in 1999. Then onwards the amount had increased which in 2007 amounted to Tk 5,265.19 in 2007.

The government had allocated only Tk 89.17 crore from its exchequer to the BPC since its inception in 1972.

The government had allocated Tk 361.40 lakh in 2000-2001 which has hardly increased in later years. But, in 2004-05 and 2005-06 no allocation was given to the corporation. This year also BPC has not received any fund.

The National Tourism Policy of 1992, has identified tourism as a multidimensional industry and also felt the necessity to have an effective coordination among various ministries, departments and agencies to promote the sector.

"To make tourism industry popular, government allocation has to be increased for publicity and promotion of tourism industry at national and international levels, to encourage the private sector, increase investment, special tourism sector will be established only for foreign tourists," According to National Tourism Policy 1992 said.

"The governments have not taken any worthwhile steps to promote the sector. Besides, most of projects to promote the tourism sector remained unimplemented due to lack of government financing," a high official of the BPC told the New Nation.

"We have several archaeological sites including Paharpur, Mahasthangarh, Mainamati and Lalbagh fort etc. Besides, we have Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest, Cox's Bazar, the longest sandy beach, Saint Martine's, three hill districts, Madhabkunda, Tamabil-Jaflong, Srimangal Tea Garden, Kaptai Lake in Chittagong, Kantazi temple, Sitakunda, Lawachara Rain Forest. But, due to lack of government initiative, we have been deprived of earning huge foreign currency," he said.

Foreign visitors will increase in the country, if the government takes effective role in the sector, he added.

He blamed the government for not promoting of the tourism industry in the country.