1,400 policemen for 1,600 tourist spots in BD
Staff Reporter :
The chief of the Tourist Police, Additional IGP Md. Mainul Hasan, revealed on Monday that despite having only 1,400 members in the Tourist Police force, the country boasts 1,600 tourist spots. He emphasized that the Tourist Police is providing round-the-clock security at 130 spots across 32 districts, and is also available to assist foreign tourists and tourist groups who require additional security during their visits.
Mainul Hasan shared this information during a meeting with the newly elected executive committee of the Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB), an organization of journalists focused on the aviation and tourism sectors.
He pointed out the challenges faced by the tourist police, highlighting that one of the country’s largest tourist destinations, the Cox’s Bazar sea beach, lacks basic amenities. “There are not enough toilets near the beach, no facilities to change clothes after swimming, and no safe place to keep mobile phones or bags,” Mainul stated. “Tourists often express frustration over these issues, yet Cox’s Bazar remains a top tourist destination,” he added.
During the meeting, Additional Superintendent of Police (Media) Nadia Farzana presented a detailed overview of the Tourist Police’s activities. She outlined the various responsibilities of the force, which include patrolling tourist-populated areas, assisting in mobile court operations, providing awareness training to hotel, motel, and resort owners, installing high-resolution cameras at key tourist spots, and conducting real-time monitoring.
Additionally, Farzana announced plans to set up a Tourist Police booth at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. The booth will provide foreign tourists with information about the country’s tourist destinations and offer security support throughout their travels.
Other officials present at the meeting included Additional DIG of Dhaka-Sylhet-Mymensingh Division Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain, Additional DIG of Khulna-Barisal Division Md Iqbal, Additional DIG of Chattogram Division Bidhan Tripura, and Additional DIG of Tourist Police Headquarters Mohammad Shah Jalal, along with Superintendent of Police (Logistics and Development) SM Jahangir Alam Sarkar.