Govt slaps entry fee for Ratargul visitors

The government has imposed entry fee for visitors at the Ratargul swamp forest, which has become an attractive tourist destination in Bangladesh over the past few years, reports bdnews24.com.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change issued a gazette fixing the fees with the approval of the finance ministry on October 29.

The fee for adults has been fixed at Tk 50, while minors (under 12 years) and students with identity cards will have to pay Tk 25 to enter the forest.

Meanwhile, foreigners will be charged Tk 500 for entry into the forest.

The government has also fixed a daily filming fee of Tk 10,000 per camera at Ratargul.

Local tourists can avail boat rides for Tk 100 while foreigners will have to pay Tk 1,000 for the service, according to the notice.

The parking fee for each bus or truck has been fixed at Tk 200 while pickups, jeeps, cars and microbuses will be charged Tk 100. It will cost Tk 25 to park autorickshaws and motorbikes there.

Ratargul, the only swamp forest in Bangladesh, is about 16 km away from Sylhet City. It sprawls across more than 504 acres in the Goainghat upazila.

The authorities reopened the forest for the visitors on November 01 after a shutdown of eight months amid the coronavirus pandemic.