Khulna turns into a tourist hub for scenic forest landscape

KHULNA, Jan 04 (BSS): Bangladesh's south-eastern region Khulna appears to be a incredible tourist hub as it inherits lush countryside, vibrant culture and most captivating landscapes including mangrove forest Sundarbans, attracting people from both home and abroad every year.

The place has really some natural spots for tourists' attraction, turning it into an ideal destination for those who want to enjoy leisure time in private avoiding rush period in cities.

It's also known for its delicious cuisine, with a wide selection of traditional dishes and snacks.

One of the most popular and traditional cuisines is beef or mutton with chui jhal, a spice that's infused with the curry!

The 1.60 km Khan Jahan Ali Bridge over Rupsa River is used as the gateway of Khulna city, connecting it to the southern districts, particularly the Mongla Seaport.

This bridge has special lanes for pedestrian and non-mechanised vehicles, so anyone can take a stroll on a windy afternoon with admirable view of the river.

There are stairs on both sides of the bridge that allow visitors to go down and come up to enjoy the close river view and riverside foods.

The forest department has already opened three more eco-tourism centres and another is going to be launched in the Sundarbans to manage the rising number of tourists.

Talking to the news agency, Mihir Kumar Doe, Conservator of Forests in Khulna, said Sundarbans is seeing a sharp rise in number of tourists, prompting the authorities to set up more four eco-tourism centres in Alibanda, Andamanik, Shekhertek and Kalabagi.

There are already seven eco-tourism centres at Karamjal, Herbaria, Kalagachia, Katka, Kochikhali, Dubla char and Heron Point area for tourists.

The authorities have erected watchtowers, hanging bridges, full trails for walking, round room for sitting and pontoons for getting on and off waterways and rest houses in different places.

Tourists normally visit the three centres in Karamjal, Herbaria and Kalagachia with a fixed entry fee and they return within the day.

On an average, more than 0.1 million (one lakh) local and foreign tourists visit the Sundarbans every year, bringing revenue more than Tk 10 million (1 crore).

Sundarbans directly and indirectly support the livelihood of more than one million (10 lakh) people as this mangrove forest protects coastal people from cyclones and floods as shield.

A feasibility study is also being conducted to build a world-class tourism facility near Sundarbans, keeping its ecosystem intact to make the mangrove forest as one of the attractive tourist destinations. The region inherited Shat Gombuj Mosque, declared as a world heritage site by Unesco, believing to have been built more than 600 years ago by Khan Jahan Ali in Sundar Hona village of Shat Gombuj Union near Bagerhat-Khulna highway.

During winter, tourists come to Bagerhat in large numbers to enjoy the charming beauty of Shat Gombuj Mosque, one of the largest in Bangladesh.