Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Afroza Khanam, MP, has called on all stakeholders to work together to ensure safe and secure tourism across Bangladesh, including the country’s premier tourist destination, Cox’s Bazar.

The call came on Sunday (August 2) while she was addressing a meeting of the Development Project Proposal (DPP) Review Committee on the proposed “Manikganj District Tourism Circuit Development and Management Project” at the Bangladesh Tourism Board headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The meeting placed special emphasis on developing river-based tourism in Manikganj as part of the district tourism circuit. Discussions also focused on establishing Tourist Information and Service Centers, Handicraft Centers, and Lifeguard Service Centers to improve visitor services and safety.

In her remarks, the minister directed the authorities to preserve, restore, and develop heritage tourism sites, including Baliati Palace, Dhamrai Folk Art Centre, and other culturally significant attractions. She stressed that each destination should have a distinct tourism theme and that development projects should directly benefit local communities by integrating tourism with their livelihoods.

Afroza Khanam said Bangladesh’s tourism sector had seen little significant progress over the past 17 years and emphasized that stronger collaboration between government agencies and private stakeholders is essential to unlock the sector’s full potential.

She also announced that initiatives would be taken soon to open the guesthouses adjacent to the Karnaphuli Tunnel and the Padma Bridge as tourist attractions for the general public.

The minister encouraged tourism stakeholders to promote Bangladesh’s unique natural beauty to domestic and international visitors through the Bangladesh Tourism Board’s promotional website, Beautiful Bangladesh.

At the beginning of the meeting, the minister expressed deep sorrow over the recent death of a tourist in a parasailing accident at Cox’s Bazar beach. She directed the authorities to take strict legal action against those responsible and instructed officials of the Bangladesh Tourism Board to work closely with the Cox’s Bazar Beach Management Committee to implement measures that would prevent similar incidents in the future.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to visitor safety, she urged all concerned to work collectively to ensure safe, sustainable, and responsible tourism throughout the country.