S A Shofiee, Sylhet:
Tourists have flocked to Sylhet’s tourism and entertainment centers to spend the nine-day government holiday on Eid-ul-Fitr. All the tourist centers in the district are now crowded with people. Wherever you look, there are crowds of travelers, including Jaflong, the daughter of nature, Bholaganj’s white stones and Bichanakandi, or tea gardens.
People in tourism-dependent professions are happy with the influx of tourists. Hotel-motel businessmen, tour guides, and photographers say that even after a few days of break, Sylhet’s tourist centers have come back to life.
The overwhelming joy and excitement of tourists rushing to nature has created a different atmosphere in Sylhet’s tourist centers. Tourist centers are bustling on the second day of the Eid holiday. The largest crowd of tourists was seen in the tea gardens here on the afternoon of Eid. Water, hills, rivers and rocks are full of natural beauty in Jaflong in Gowainghat, Bichanakandi, Sari River in Jaintapur, Sapadhar in Companyganj, Utmachara and Ratargul, the only freshwater water forest, are crowded with tourists.
In addition, there are crowds of people of all ages, from children to children, on the walkways set up in the tea gardens of Adventure World in Sylhet city, Dreamland in the suburbs, MAG Osmani Shishu Park, and every tourist center in Sylhet suburbs.
Tourists are flocking to various parks in Sylhet city in groups, including the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hazrat Shahparan (RA) in the Dargah. There are no empty rooms in all the hotels and motels in Sylhet. All of them are booked.
A tourist named Tanjila Parveen, who came to Sylhet from Narayanganj, said, “The beautiful green scenery of Jaflong, the beautiful land of nature near the hills of Meghalaya in India, Pantumai-Mayabi waterfalls, the clear-white water of water and stones and the only swamp forest of fresh water, Ratargul, is calling me with its touch. So this time I have come to visit the tourist spots of Sylhet with my family.” Nazim Uddin, who came to visit with friends from Chittagong, said, “Every Eid holiday, we go somewhere with our friends. This time for Eid, we have come to Jaflong, Sadapathar and Bichanakandi. Friends are celebrating with joy and excitement.
” Deen Islam, a young man from Jamalpur, has come to cool down in the cool water of Sadapaar in Bholaganj, a village in Meghalaya, Sylhet. While talking about this, he said, “I have been to various places in Sylhet before, but this is the first time I have come to Sadapathar.” It is nice to see the white stones frozen under the clear water here. If you take a dip in the icy water coming down from India, you can feel a lot of exciting feelings in this heat.
Hills, hills and tea gardens stretching to the horizon seem to cover Sylhet in a green moon. Where tourists are fascinated and fall in love with this cool nature. Sylhet is called the land of two leaves and one bud. The tea gardens of Sylhet were crowded with tourists. The presence of thousands of tourists, including local tourists, on Eid was noticeable.
On Wednesday (April 2) afternoon, thousands of tourists from different parts of the country rushed to see various tea gardens in Sylhet, including Tarapur, Lakkatura, and Malnichara.
Khandaker Sipar Ahmed, former president of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) and former president of the Sylhet Chamber, said, “Sylhet’s tourism sector was facing losses. This time, efforts are being made to recover that loss. Due to the long holiday this time, the tourist presence will also increase several times. The police will have to be vigilant to prevent robberies and muggings during this time. There is a possibility of at least one million tourists present this time.”
Jaflong is very important among the tourist centers of Sylhet. Bablu Bakht, owner of the Green Resort there, said, “There is usually a flood of tourists during Eid-ul-Fitr. For this purpose, we have taken additional measures considering our customers.”
Hotelier Abul Kalam said, we serve pure food to the tourists who come for a trip. We have counted many losses, we hope to see a profit at least this time.
Former president of Sylhet Hotel and Guest House Owners Group, Sumat Noori Chowdhury Jewel, said that this time various hotels have been booked at a large rate. That is why they are optimistic about the business. He said, “At one time, the inauguration of the Padma Bridge had an impact on Sylhet. We think that people are heading to Sylhet again. The businessmen of Sylhet will benefit from this.”
Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry President (acting) Faiz Hasan Ferdous said that a business of hundreds of crores of taka is expected from the tourism sector this Eid.
He said, “We think that if the tourism industry develops in expatriate-dominated Sylhet, our current generation of expatriates can be directed to Sylhet. For this, the development of roads is essential.”
Sylhet District Police Media Focal Point Officer Md. Samrat Talukder said that additional security measures are in place at every spot for the safety of tourists. Work will be done in coordination with the tourist police. To ensure the safety of tourists, plainclothes policemen have been deployed along with the uniformed police.
Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet
Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad said, “The concerned upazila administration has taken steps to ensure the overall security of tourists at the tourist spots of Sylhet and to ensure their smooth travel. Law enforcement agencies are also working. The tourist centers of Sylhet are vigilant in all seasons. This time too, tourists will be able to enjoy the beauty.”
