A move is afoot to introduce regional coastal sea cruise service connecting Malaysia, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, official sources said.
Besides, a move is there to launch river cruise service to attract foreign tourists, they added.
The ministry of shipping (MoS) has recently formed a five-member committee to study the potential of sea cruise service connecting the regional coastal countries.
A joint secretary of the MoS will head the committee comprising representatives from the department of shipping (DoS), the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), the Marine Academy, and private organistion Afroz Shipping Lines. The committee has been asked to submit a report within a month.
Sources said months back, the Afroz Shipping Lines submitted an application to the MoS expressing its interest to introduce the sea cruise service. Following this, the MoS held a meeting on March 15 with shipping minister Shajahan Khan in the chair.
Managing Director of Afroz Shipping Lines Shah Mominul Islam Chowdhury at the meeting made a power-point presentation where he unveiled the business plan on coastal cruise service.
He informed the meeting that he wants to introduce the service by chartering SuperStar Gemini, a ship owned by Star Cruises, the leading cruise line in Asia-Pacific. He said the cruise service will be operated through coasts of Malaysia, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, starting from Bangladesh coast.
Mr Chowdhury told the FE that the service has considerable potential as many Bangladeshis are interested in tourism through sea routes.
Besides, he said, Hajj pilgrims also can be sent to Saudi Arabia with luxurious ships at lower costs.
Captain K M B Akbar, head of marine, Afroz Shipping Lines, told the FE many Bangladeshi labourers work abroad, mainly in the Middle Eastern countries, who will also be interested to avail the journey while returning home.
He said in Bangladesh many people go for tourism with family members once a year. They will be happy to go for sea cruise since it is more enjoyable, he said.
Mr Akbar said foreigners who come to Bangladesh for tourism or who stay here for work will also be interested to take journey through sea while leaving the country for other coastal countries.
He said the committee, formed by the MoS, will also examine issues like customs and immigration procedures for introduction of the sea cruise service.
Shipping secretary Shafique Alam Mehdi in the meeting said there is a widespread potential in operating passenger cruise services on international routes.
He suggested that the private sector people could be encouraged to start the service for earning foreign currencies for the country.
Mr Mehdi told the FE Tuesday that tourism has multi-dimensions and Bangladesh is yet to explore the potential. The country's economy will be further developed if the potential can be utilised.
He suggested that the ministry of civil aviation and tourism can take steps to attract tourists in many areas including river and sea areas.
Director General of the department of shipping (DoS) Zakiur Rahman Bhuiyan told the FE sea cruise service has a large prospect in the country.
He said once Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims were sent to Saudi Arabia with ships which were safe and secure. The service can be introduced again and the Afroz Shipping Lines has the plan, too.
Mr Bhuiyan said a committee, headed by chief nautical officer of the DoS captain Jasim Uddin, carried out a feasibility study of river cruise service in the country. The committee has finalised a report which will be submitted to the ministry soon.
He said the committee also studied introduction of cruise service through Bangladesh- Kolkata, Andaman-Kolkata-Mumbai, and Cox's Bazar-Teknaf-Akyab-Yangon routes.
While visiting the shipping ministry recently, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also emphasised on river tourism sector and asked officials concerned to take necessary steps in this regard.
Officials said at a recent meeting at the DoS the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) has been asked to examine trial run of river tourism with its ship named Bangali.
They said the MoS has taken the initiative to include the option of running passenger and cruise vessels in the Bangladesh-India Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) which may get nod in the shipping secretary level meeting of the two countries in New Delhi in late April.
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