Wheel

Rural Tourism: A Booming Sector for Bangladesh Economy
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Hasina Begum, Toyama, Japan
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It is almost four years since I visited my motherland, Bangladesh. The reason of my visit was quite grandiose, one of the most important events of my life, my AKTH. On December 23, 2010 I got married to Dr. Md. Musfiquzzaman Akanda at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel. Most of our relatives attended the program. It is a magnificent memory of my life.

My brother Md. Zahirul Islam arranged round trip air ticket to Cox’s Bazar. He was kind enough to manage our stay at Seagull Hotel for three nights. We enjoyed Cox’s Bazaar sea beach, Inani sea beach, Saint Martin etc. Overall, we enjoyed our first couple of days very much in Bangladesh. During our stay in Bangladesh, besides all the joy and happiness that we were sharing, I was also discovering Bangladesh in a new way. The beauty of Bangladesh was telling me the immense opportunity it has in its nature. Still I can remember the villages, the roads, the gentle breeze, people, their smiles and the life in everything. When we came back to Dhaka, I was thinking about it. After all these years, I thought that I should let my feelings flow and let others know. I was talking to my brother few days ago and I was telling him about all these. He encouraged me to put my thoughts into few pages. I didn’t know where to start and where to finish. I felt that I need reams of papers to write about the prospects of tourism in Bangladesh.

Tourism is world's one of the largest industry and a major source of employment and revenue in many countries. According to the World Tourism Council, last year tourism alone produced over $6 trillion in revenue. It provided jobs to around 221 million people globally. It is expected that by 2015 it will be providing some 269 million jobs. Between 2006 and 2015, tourism's growth rate is expected to be 4.6 percent on an average per year. Tourism, on a national scale, not only can produce employment but also can be a major source of renewable export. It must be noted, however, that to be a renewable resource, tourism must be developed in a sustainable manner. That means where ecologies are fragile, numbers and activities must be tightly controlled; pollution must be checked, and local cultures be protected.

To capture the immense revenue potential from tourism, Bangladesh needs to take lots of initiatives. In the following few sections, I have tried to cover few essential points that we should look after for future growth of tourism in Bangladesh:

No one wants to visit a place that is not clean or unhealthy. Tourism cannot survive without a clean and safe environment. In a like manner, communities that do not provide pleasant surroundings and a clean environment usually face a very hard time attracting people and business.

Tourism requires some level of skilled people and good services. No matter what the attraction is, a tourism centre that lacks good customer service and friendly people will fail. In the same way, communities that lack necessary basic services cannot not attract visitors. Tourism requires good restaurants, hotels and recreational facilities. These are the same factors that are essential to any community seeking economic development.

Bangladesh can be an ideal destination for community-based tourism. For sustainable progress in poverty eradication, the present time is suitable for considering the implementation of community-based tourism. Bangladesh is a country of thousands of villages. Most of its heritage sites and international tourist spots are positioned around these villages.

Sometimes rare plants or animal species are the main attraction; sometime traditional food, handicraft or historic buildings are the main attractions. A European example of well-developed rural tourism is France. Camping and caravans are the most popular forms of accommodation in rural areas. Many farmers have developed camping sites on their farms. Others prefer to invest in various kinds of short-term rental houses known as "gîtes."

Bangladesh has enormous potential for tourism. The concept of community-based rural tourism and its benefits are still unexplored. Now is the right time to think of rural tourism development. Apart from rural tourism, all general attractions, like archaeological sites, historical places, natural beaches are, more or less, getting importance. But rural tourism can turn into a booming sector for at least two reasons. First, through rural tourism, Bangladesh may reduce poverty and second, the infrastructure of far-off and rural places will be developed.

Community-based rural tourism is a must for the economic development of Bangladesh. Its earnings will act as a vehicle for the overall development of Bangladesh. Development of rural tourism will have the following results:

• Increase in Gross Domestic Product.
• Human resource development.
• Poverty mitigation.
• Promotion of indigenous culture and heritage.
• Development of river tourism and eco-tourism.
• Development of rural livelihood.
• Protection of indigenous rights and resources.
• Education and training for all.
• Conservation of environment.
• Increase in local export.
• Peace and happiness.
• Promotion of local cuisine.
• Women employment, etc.

The government and community leaders may also want to take into account that tourism adds prestige to a community. People like to live in a place that others consider worthy of visiting. This can draw a lot of local businesses as well and can become an important tool for developing the economy.
Community festivals, traditions, handicrafts, parks and natural settings all add to the desirability of a locale and its ability to sell itself to potential outside investors. The quality of life can also be reflected in a community's museums, concert halls, theatres and uniqueness.

Tourism is an important economic development tool for emerging and minority communities around the world. Since tourism is based on the appreciation of other cultures, tourism industries have been especially open to giving disadvantaged groups around the world opportunities.

Tourism requires a great deal of construction work and provides large numbers of entry-level jobs. Tourists may infuse additional money into the local economy through shopping. In nations where manufacturing is not developed, the tourism industry can be an essential method for reinvigorating local economies. Sooner or later, Bangladesh will be able to make the optimum use of its existing potential for tourism and, thereby, further develop its economy.

দরিদ্র প্রধানমন্ত্রী
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কর্মকর্তারা পড়েছেন ভীষণ বিপদে। প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সম্পদের বিবরণী পূরণ করতে গিয়ে তাঁদের এ বিপদ। দুটি মুঠোফোন ছাড়া প্রধানমন্ত্রীর আর কোনো সম্পদ নেই। কী আর করা! ব্যক্তিগত তথ্য দিয়ে বাকি ঘরগুলো ফাঁকা রেখেই প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সম্পদের বিবরণীর জমা দিতে হচ্ছে।

নেপালের প্রধানমন্ত্রীর মুখ্য সচিবের বরাত দিয়ে বার্তা সংস্থা পিটিআই প্রকাশিত প্রতিবেদনে জানানো হয়, সুশীল কৈরালা সাদামাটা জীবনযাপনের জন্য বেশ পরিচিত। তাঁর কোনো সম্পদ নেই। আছে কেবল দুটি মুঠোফোন।

মুখ্য সচিব বসন্ত গৌতম গতকাল শনিবার পিটিআইকে জানিয়েছেন, নিয়ম অনুযায়ী জমা দেওয়ার জন্য প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সম্পদের বিবরণী তৈরি করতে গিয়ে সংশ্লিষ্ট কর্মকর্তারা ঝামেলায় পড়েছেন। কারণ বিবরণীতে উল্লেখ করার মতো কোনো সম্পদ নেই প্রধানমন্ত্রীর।
বসন্ত গৌতমের ভাষ্য, ‘কৈরালার কোনো বাড়ি নেই, জমি নেই, বিনিয়োগ নেই। তাঁর কোনো গাড়ি নেই। মোটরবাইকও নেই।’

ওই কর্মকর্তা আরও জানান, ৭৫ বছর বয়সী এই প্রধানমন্ত্রীর কোনো সোনাদানা কিংবা রুপা নেই। তাঁর নামে অন্য কোনো সম্পদও নেই। আছে কেবল দুটি মুঠোফোন।

বসন্ত গৌতম বলেন, ‘এই মুঠোফোন দুটিকে প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সম্পদ হিসেবে আমরা উল্লেখ করতে পারছি না। এ কারণে সম্পদের বিবরণী কীভাবে পূরণ করব, তা নিয়ে আমরা চিন্তিত।’ ওই কর্মকর্তা জানান, এমন পরিস্থিতিতে কোনো ধরনের সম্পদ উল্লেখ না করেই প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সম্পদের বিবরণী জমা দেবেন তাঁরা। বিবরণীতে কেবল প্রধানমন্ত্রীর ব্যক্তিগত তথ্য থাকবে।

গত মাসে নেপালের প্রধানমন্ত্রী হিসেবে দায়িত্ব নেন কৈরালা। প্রধানমন্ত্রীর বাসভবনে উঠার আগে কাঠমাণ্ডুর উপকণ্ঠে একটি ভাড়া বাসায় থাকতেন তিনি। দলের প্রেসিডেন্টের জন্য নেপালি কংগ্রেস ওই বাসাটি ভাড়া করেছিল। অবিবাহিত কৈরালা প্রধানমন্ত্রীর দায়িত্ব গ্রহণের পরও সাদামাটাভাবে জীবনযাপন করছেন।

'Made in Bangladesh': American Apparel releases controversial new ad starring topless former-Muslim model’
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American Apparel has sparked controversy once again with a new ad starring a topless former-Muslim model from Bangladesh.
The bold image, which appears in Vice magazine's U.S. and Canada editions, stars 22-year-old Maks, a merchandiser for American Apparel, who was born in Dhaka but has lived in California since the age of four.

The words 'Made in Bangladesh' are printed across her chest - referring to the woman, of course, not her jeans, a means of raising awareness about American Apparel's fair labor practices - all its clothing is made in downtown LA.

The powerful image is accompanied by a description of Maks, revealing how she was raised a strict Muslim but 'distanced herself' from her Islamic faith as she grew up, in search of her 'own identity.'

The words explain that the bare-chested beauty 'doesn't feel the need to identify herself as an American or a Bengali and is not content to fit her life into anyone else's conventional narrative.
'That's what makes her essential to the mosaic that is Los Angeles, and unequivocally, a distinct figure in the ever expanding American Apparel family.'

The striking ad is likely to cause some upset among traditional Muslims for linking a half naked model to a country where Islam is the dominant religion and nudity is frowned upon.

American Apparel, which was established in Canada in 1989, has a long history of sparking both celebration and outrage for its daring campaigns.

Recent activity includes a campaign featuring a 62-year-old model in lingerie and a New York based Valentine's stunt in which their window-front mannequins were given fake p***c hair.
It has been repeatedly blasted for pushing the boundaries, degrading women and even sexualising young girls in its famously provocative campaigns.

Last year, a series of 'gratuitous' ads were banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority for using 'overtly sexual images' of women who appear to be wearing no underwear.

The ASA said: 'Although we considered it was reasonable for ads for hosiery to feature women in limited clothing, we considered the images and the model's poses gratuitous.'

It's too early to tell what sort of reactions the latest ad will draw, but chances are this won't be the last we hear of it.