Paksey can be built as striking tourism area

A T M Nurun Nabi: Paksey, in the district of Pabna, can be built as a striking tourism area. Tourism has nowadays become one of the major sources of income in many countries. And It becomes possible only when the government pays due attention and draws a strategy. The governments of the advanced countries of the world spend a huge sum of money for developing the infrastructure of the possible tourism centres for attracting the foreigners. As a result, countries like Singapore, Hong Kong of China and Malaysia earn billion of dollars annually, meaning that tourism can make a good contribution to the economic development of any country. In this race, Bangladesh may be a good contestant because there are potentials. Those places which could be turned into striking tourism centres are Paksey in the district of Pabna, Cox's Bazaar, Jaflong in Sylhet, Ramsagar in Dinajpur, Banaripara in Barisal, Kuakata in Patuakhali, Sonargaon in Narayanganj, all historical places and the islands of Hatiya, Sandwip and Kutubdia.
Paksey, home of the country's largest railway division, is linked with the rest of country by both the rail and the road. It can be conjoined by air if the damaging and perishing infrastructures of the abandoned airport at Ishurdi, five miles in the north-east, are rebuilt. Paksey has many potentialities to qualify as tourism centre. Some of them are the 5,900 feet long Hardinge Railway Bridge, the Lalon Shah Bridge, the newly constructed EPZ, the friendly environment, the sands and dunes of once rough and tough river Padma and the height of the railway station above the surface (it looks like a hill from distance).
Hardinge Bridge was commissioned to traffic in 1915 when the World War II was burning half of the world. It was constructed at such a time when Great Britain was involved in the fierce war against Germany and her allies. But the then government continued construction work fearless of the last effect of the war. In fact, the success of a project depends upon the good gesture of the government.
However, the specialty of the bridge is its imposing design and marvelous construction. Perhaps, very few railway bridges in the world can match Paksey in the field of design and construction. The double-lane broad gauge lines and a footpath have added extra dimension which can be viewed from under the bridge and Paksey Station. The best prize of Paksey is its friendly environment. As no bus or truck plies in the town, and as baby taxi and cab are seldom found moving with passengers, there is little possibility of the environment becoming polluted. As such, there is little chance of health hazard.
The height of Paksey Station is magnetism. About 45 feet above the surface from the south gives one a unique opportunity to view things of a far distance places around him. Another feature of Paksey is its large trees. Although the unscrupulous people chopped many large trees after independence, particularly during the nineties and onwards, yet Paksey looks beautiful, especially at night owing to electricity. One traveling by train will be charmed when the train passes through Paksey Station and the Hardinge Bridge.
Looking at the dune of Padma, the tourists will be able to experience the bite of the Farakka Barrage constructed on the Indian part of the river Padma. The barrage was commissioned in 1979 and later dried up river Padma and seriously affected GK Project in Kushtia. The bitter experience the foreigners will justify Bangladesh's right to the water of the Padma.
Paksey has been promoted as business centre following the construction of EPZ. Many new buildings have been constructed to increase the potentiality of the town.. In addition, Paksey has green landscape, an extra beauty for the tourists.

Sourec: The Bangladesh Today Dated:2008-08-14

UAE Firm to Build Exclusive Tourist Zone at Sonadia

A United Arab Emirates (UAE) investment group has expressed interest in building an exclusive tourist zone only for foreigners at Sonadia Island in Cox's Bazar, as world's longest unbroken sea beach in the district holds huge untapped tourism prospects.

Investment Authority of Ras Al Khaimah, an emirate of the United Arab Emirates, has set its sights on the panoramic site on the beach of the Bay of Bengal.

Following the proposal from the investment group of the oil-rich Gulf state, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism is now conducting a feasibility study.

“Few days back, a representative of Ras Al Khaimah authority made a visit to Sonadia Island. They want to build an exclusive tourist zone at the Island. After that, the Tourism Ministry has asked the Parjatan Corporation to conduct a feasibility study,” Syed Mohammad Zobaer, secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, told UNB.

Sonadia Island is about seven kilometers off Cox's Bazar and about nine-square-kilometer in area in the embrace of the Bay. The western side of the island is sandy and different kinds of shells are found on the beach. Off the northern part of the island, there are beds of windowpane oysters.

During winter, fishermen set up temporary camps on the island and dry their catches of sea fish.
The secretary said the Ras Al Khaimah group has a plan to develop the tourist zone with all modern facilities and arrangements maintaining global standards.

Asked about the feasibility of the proposed Sonadia Exclusive Tourist Zone, he said in terms of natural beauty, the island is very much full of prospects. But the main concern is the environmental aspect of the island .

Source:The Daily Star, Dated:13-08-2008

Moonson Journey in Bangladesh

Morning came to Naljhuri as softly as the night had fallen. We woke up to a lazy, wet morning. It was still raining. One problem with the monsoon mornings is that you cannot figure out what time it is. It could be 6 in the morning or 12 noon. But it would look the same yawning hour. As if time had stopped.

The clouds were painting pictures using the hills as canvas. They made different shapes. Very close to the bottom of the big hill, little cotton balls developed and slowly floated up to form a long dragon. It approached a deer with a big open mouth and devoured it. Then the dragon reached up to disappear into a thick black layer of cloud. Suddenly the scenes were wiped out from our view like magic as a huge cloud engulfed us. Around us was nothing but a milky white layer. We could not see the trees on the lawn, the hills, the lake in the distant. Nothing. It was as if we were drowning in fog.

We could have spent the whole morning watching this esoteric play of the clouds and rain. But then the caretaker said our breakfast was ready and we better started early.
Through the rain our journey began again. It was marshland once again. Beautiful rivers coming down the hills have crossed the landscape. We stopped over a bridge and watch a river flow by, placid and tranquil. Not more than 30 feet wide.

We reached Goainghat river bank after about one and a half hours, hired a boat and set off down the eddies. It would take us two hours to reach Ratargul, the swamp forest we were going to visit. We had heard a lot about this amazing forest and we had planned several times to visit it. But something always came between our plan and its execution.

On our back was an amazing scene. The Jainta hills looked overbearing and bluish. Silvery waterfalls were cascading down the side of the hills like snakes. We were on plain land and there were the hills and the waterfalls. The whole thing looked so unreal. It looked even more unreal on our way back from Ratargul. The hills appeared bigger and bigger, becoming as huge as if falling on us in the end, and the waterfalls faded in through clouds and fogs.

But now, we were going through a ranching country. On both sides of the river roamed herds of cows, buffalos and sheep. Their healthy bodies showed how good these riverbanks were as grazing grounds. Nothing grows here, no grains, no vegetables, no nothing. Only long reeds and grass. The cattle gazed us with their round curious eyes.

This was a lonely place. Strangely lonely for a country of 150 million. You hardly meet a boatman or a fisherman. The few fishermen using nets looked disinterested in their acts. As if they were doing it for the sake of doing something. Even birds were scarce. We saw a few kingfishers and herons. The usual Shaliks were everywhere though. In a place like this loneliness becomes crueler.

As our boat crossed the bend in the river, we saw the forest. The red leaves of Barun trees greeted us to Ratargul. Welcome to Ratargul forest -- one of the rarest unexplored places in Bangladesh.

Source : The Daily Star Dated 29-07-2008 Story: Inam Ahmed Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain