3.

Opportunities for tourism via inland water

Tourism has significant growth potential & opportunities in Bangladesh by utilizing the inland waterways
network. The geography of Bangladesh is abundant with rivers, canals, channels, and water bodies. The
country's south consists of several offshore and coastal islands in the Bay of Bengal, which could be
easily connected by the waterways network from major cities. Proper planning and development could
make these waterways important assets for tourism development. (Mohammad 2009) This chapter aims
to shed light on the potentialities and opportunities for the tourism sector inland waterways network in
Bangladesh. If Bangladesh can utilize and improvise the water resources it has, it would simply create a
new dawn for the tourism industry.

3.1 Potential tourism destinations connected by waterways network

3.1.1 Coastal Belt & Offshore Islands
Bangladesh has tremendous tourism resources in the inshore and offshore regions of the Bay of Bengal.
This region has diversified tourism spots such as sandy beaches, coral islands, estuarine islands, and hilly
islands surrounded by blue ocean (Sanjoy Kumar Roy 2020). Every year, millions of tourist flock to these
spots to enjoy their holidays.

Cox’s Bazar Sea Beach: Cox’s Bazar is home to one of the longest unobstructed sea beaches in the world.
The length of the sea beach is about 120 Km . Every year, around 3 million domestic and foreign tourists
visit Cox’s Bazar, which makes it the most popular tourist destination of Bangladesh. (Chandra Sanjay
2015) Apart from the sea beach, Cox’s Bazar is endowed with green hills, numerous waterfalls, rubber
forest, Buddhist pagodas, and many other historically and culturally significant sites. (Abul 2017) (Rasel
n.d.)

Kuakata Sea Beach: Kuakata sea beach is situated in Patuakhali district under Barisal division. This beach
is almost 11 Km long. Kuakata also have tourist spots such as Kuakata Eco Park, mangrove forest, Rakhine
village, Buddhist Pagoda etc. Kuakata can be accessed by the waterways transport via the Sadarghat-
Patuakhali inland route from Dhaka city.

Saint Martin’s Island: Saint Martin’s Island is the only coral island of Bangladesh. It is located in the
southernmost tip of Bangladesh. It is also popularly known as ‘Narikel Jinjira’ due to the presence of
thousands of coconut tree in the island. The island is well connected by water transport services from
Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram, particularly during the Winter season (November-March) (Md.
Touhiduzzaman 2017)

Sonadia & Maheshkhali Island: The only hilly island of Bangladesh is Maheshkhali. Adinath Temple on
top of the Mainak Hill is one of the amin tourist attraction of Maheshkhali. Sonadia island is also part of
Maheshkhali which becomes segregated during high tide. A pristine beach and small mangrove forest is
the main attraction of Sonadia. The government is planning to build a ‘Eco-tourism Park’ in Sonadia
island to promote tourism.

Kutubdia Island: Kutubdia island is located off the coast of Cox’s Bazar, north of Maheshkhali island. (Md.
Kamrul Islam 2023) It is famous for its dry fish production and vast salt fields. Kutubdia is home to the
oldest lighthouse in Bangladesh, which was constructed in 1846.
Estuarine Islands: The Meghna River estuary consists of several beautiful islands with high tourism
potential. These estuarine islands were created by the siltation from river flow. The most famous of
these islands is ‘Nijhum Dwip’. It is a small island situated beside Hatiya island in Noakhali district. A deep
mangrove forest with diverse flora and fauna is the amin attraction of Nijhum Dwip. Part of the forest
was declared as a protected national park by Bangladesh Government in 2001.

Another popular island for tourism is Monpura. Similar to Nijhum Dwip, this island also consists of a
mangrove forest. Monpura island have direct waterways connectivity with Dhaka via the Sadarghat-
Monpura-Hatiya route.

Some of the other potential tourism destination in this region are Hatiya Island, Sandwip Island, Char
Kukri Mukri etc. The tourism potentials of these islands are mostly unexploited till now.

3.1.2 Sundarbans region

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, and it is situated in the southwestern part of
Bangladesh. It is a unique ecosystem that is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger and many other species of
animals and birds. (Nishat 2017) The forest floor rises 0.9 m to 2.11 m above the mean sea level. (H. S.
Sen 2019) The entire forest is inundated twice a day with the high tide by the major rivers - Baleswar,
Haribhanga, Passur, Shibsa, Betna, Arpangasia, and Kobadak.

Karamjal: Karamjal is located deep in the Sundarbans and a very popular spot among the tourists. A
ranger station is situated in Karamjal. It is also being served as a deer breeding center. Karamjal is
considered as one of the gateways to the wild Sundarbans. Karamjal has direct water connectivity with
Mongla port.

Hiron Point: Because of its natural beauty and magnificence, this location attracts a large number of
tourists. This is a site to look for unusual species of wild animals and birds. Hiron Point is an ideal location
for spotting tigers, deer, monkey, crocodiles, and several species of birds

Harbaria: Harbaria is one of the most beautiful and at the same time most dangerous location in
Sundarbans. It is situated by the Poshur River and is located in Sundarban's Chadpai range. In Harbaria,
the tourists can see the famed Royal Bengal Tiger and Spotted Deer, as well as many other wild animals
and birds. Harbaria can be accessed by Mongla-Karamjal-Harbaria waterways route.

Kolagachia: Kolagachia is another popular tourist destination situated in the western range of
Sundarbans. This spot is directly accessible by waterways transport via Burigoalini/Munshiganj- Dobeki-
Kolagachia route.

Ali Banda: Ali Banda is a relatively new eco-tourism spot. It is located in the Sharankhola range of the
Sundarbans. It is accessible by waterways transport via Mongla-Karamjal-Harbaria-Ali Banda route.

Kochikhali: This area is a part of Sundarbans East Forest Division's East Wildlife Sanctuary. In this area,
which faces the Bay of Bengal, there are thick forests. On the beach, there are trails of countless marine
and land creatures. East Kochikhali Khal and Supati Khal are well-known for being the Tiger's entrance to
Kochikhali. Tourists have the chance to see basking crocodiles, deer, lizards, wild boar, and a variety of
birds when boating around the area's canals. At Kochikhali, there is a rest house as well.
Dublar Char: Dublar Char is well-known for its fishing and is a destination for local fishermen with a
diverse fish population. River Passur flows on this island's eastern side, and River Shibsha flows on its
western side. A casual stroll around the island gives the tourists the chance to see a variety of wild
animals.

Kotka Beach: Kotka is one of Sunderban's heritage sites. Kotka is a good base for safaris and a good
place to see tigers and birds. The enormous expanse of grassy meadows extending from Kotka to
Kachikhali (Tiger Point) is an ideal route for tourists interested in animal trekking. There is also a high
watch tower situated at Kotka.

3.1.3 Northern region

The northern part of Bangladesh is the most under explored region in terms of tourism. The region is
encompassed by two mighty rivers- Padma and Jamuna. Therefore, this region has vast potential for
tourism, particularly in river cruising sector. Because of the alluvium nature, many river islands or ‘Chars’
have been formed in the upstream of the Jamuna River. Many of these ‘Char’ become totally submerged
during the wet seasons of the year, and ascend only during the dry winter months. As a result, these
Chars are relatively well preserved and the raw natural beauty is still prevalent. (Md. Shoriful Islam 2021)

3.2 Existing and potential tourism activities and attractions

3.2.1 Nature-based ecotourism
The most dominant and popular type of tourism activity in Bangladesh is the exploration of
natural beauty and sightseeing. As per the survey conducted, an overwhelming 86.4%
respondents voted for nature-based tourism as their favourite.
Popular activities in the sea beaches are enjoying white sandy beach and blue waves of the sea,
relaxing in the refreshing wind and roar of the waves, enjoying majestic sunrise and sunset,
taking a sea bath, horse riding, enjoying colorful sea shells and crabs etc. These activities are
common in almost all the beaches of coastal belt and islands (Swarbrooke 2020). In Cox’s Bazar,
tourists can take along walk along the beach and enjoy the blue waves with the backdrop of
thousands of Tamarisk trees and the rising heels. A few fountains are also found in Cox’s Bazar,
of which Himchori Falls is the most attractive. The beautiful Marine Drive, Ramu Rubber Garden
could also be tourism hotspots. Sonadia Island, adjoining the Cox’s Bazar Sea Beach, welcomes
the tourists with pristine sandy beach, lush green canopy of Tamarisk trees and the sand art
created by the running red crabs. The Bangladesh Government is planning to establish two
ecotourism centers in Sonadia and Sabrang of Teknaf Upazilla of Cox’s Bazar. (Islam 2018)
The Saint Martin’s Island is a treasure trove for nature lovers. The water here is the cleanest
among the marine tourism destinations in Bangladesh. The stony formation by dead corals adds
to the charm of the beach. Live colorful corals underwater can also be explored by diving.
Additionally, thousands of Coconut trees across the whole island adds to the charm of nature
lovers.
Maheshkhali attracts the tourists with the Mainak Hill beside the sea. The view of the sea and
enjoying the sunset from hill top can be a truly mesmerizing experience for the tourists. From
Kuakata sea beach, the tourists can enjoy the beautiful sunrise and sunset from the same point,
which is a unique experience in Bangladeshi beaches. Other estuarine islands discussed earlier,
are not yet very popular in the tourism landscape of Bangladesh. As a result, these spots have a
peaceful appearance and are not contaminated by manmade structures. Tourists who are
interested in raw natural beauty, these spots are ideal destination for them.
The Sundarbans welcome the tourists with its pure and untouched forest. The Sundarbans is
rich in biodiversity and home to countless species of flora & fauna. Being a mangrove forest, its
nature is quite different than other forests. The forest mostly contains trees with its roots
spread above the ground and a thick canopy overhead. The salt water mixed forest, mangrove
scrub, brackish water mixed forest, littoral forest, wet forest, and wet alluvial grass forests are
the most frequently recognized vegetation types in the dense Sundarbans mangrove forests.
Therefore, the outlook of the forest changes from region to region. Similar to the Sundarbans,
there are some smaller mangrove forests in islands such as Sonadia, Nijhum Dwip, Monpura Island and
Char Kukri Mukri.

3.3.2 River cruising

River cruises are becoming increasingly popular around the world, and Bangladesh has the potential to
offer unique river cruise experiences. According to a report by the World Bank, "There is potential for
developing river-based tourism, with river cruises being the most promising option" (World Bank, 2016).
The findings from the conducted survey also confirms the same, with 95.5% respondents expressing that
they are interested in river cruises, if available.
At present, there are few operational river routes with passenger transportation facilities, but only Cox’s
Bazar- Saint Martin’s and Teknaf-Saint Martin’s route is exclusively handling tourists. Several passenger
vessels are operating in these two routes during the winter season (November-March).

Among the other riverine passenger routes, Kuakata Sea Beach is connected via the Sadarghat (Dhaka)-
Patuakhali route from Dhaka. Manpura Island and Hatiya Island are connected via the Sadarghat
(Dhaka)-Manpura-Hatiya route. Another tourist favourite, the century old paddle steamer service,
popularly known as ‘Rocket steamers’ used to run in the Sadarghat (Dhaka)-Morrelgonj route. This
service was very convenient for visiting Sundarbans along with a leisurely river cruise. However, this
service is currently suspended and unavailable for tourists.

The Sundarbans is located at the lower basin of the Bangladesh Delta. Because of that, the whole
Sundarbans mangrove forest is intersected by a web of rivers. This unique geography makes Sundarbans
an ideal location for river cruising as the whole forest is accessible by water transports.

At present, a number of tour operators arrange river cruising packages in the Sundarbans. Both local and
foreigners attend the river cruises. The established river cruise routes connect the Sundarbans with
major cities or ports like Dhaka, Khulna and Mongla. Some of the most popular routes among tourists
are Mongla-Karamjal-Harbaria, Burigoalini/Munshiganj- Dobeki- Kolagachia, Dhaka/Pagla-Harbaria-
Kotka-Karamjal-Khulna etc. At present, 142 river cruise vessels are operating in Sundarbans (FD, 2023).

As the Sundarbans is a mangrove forest, it is inundated twice daily during the high tide. During these
high tides, the tourists can venture deep into the forests with wooden canoes. This canoeing experience
gives the tourists a special thrill as they can explore the deep untouched jungle. (Sen 2020)

There are a great potential for river and bay cruising if direct river routes can be established with popular
tourism destinations with major cities and ports like Dhaka, Chattogram, Mongla, Khulna and Cox’s Bazar.
If tourist vessels with quality touristic services and facilities can be introduced, it could potentially
change the tourism landscape of Bangladesh. In fact, 77.3% respondents have shown interest in
travelling water transport facilities for tourism purpose, with another 18.2% have shown interest with
the condition of having proper touristic facilities onboard.
A study conducted by Hasan, Hussain & Failler have proposed a few potential tourism routes for river &
bay cruising. These routes include Dhaka-Hatiya-Chattogram-Kutubdia-Cox’s Bazar- Saint Martin’s ,
Dhaka-Hatiya-Sandwip, Dhaka-Hatiya-Nijhum Dwip, Dhaka-Kuakata-Dublar Char-Mongla, Mongla-Dublar
Char-Kuakata-Chattogram, Mongla-Dublar Char-Kuakata- Saint Martin’s, Chattogram- Hatiya- Nijhum
Dwip etc.
Fig: Proposal of potential river and bay cruising route (Hasan, Hussain & Failler)

River cruise of smaller duration such as the Shitalakkha river cruise, from Dhaka to Shitalakha and
Meghna River cruise, Dhaka-Chandpur cruise, Turag river cruise can add varieties to the tourism
landscape of Bangladesh.

Additionally, to utilize the tourism potential of the northern region of Bangladesh, Dhaka-Chandpur-
Goalanda-Rajshahi and Dhaka-Chandpur-Goalanda-Bahadurabad route could be established. These
routes will directly connect the upper reaches of Padma and Jamuna rivers and ‘Chars’ with Dhaka. The
northern region of Bangladesh is still untapped and unexplored in terms of tourism and it can add a new
dimension in the tourism sector.

3.3.4 Wildlife safari and bird-watching

Wildlife safari is a popular form of tourism and the Sundarbans is visited by many local and foreign
tourists every year for enjoying its rich wildlife. The Sundarbans is a protected wildlife sanctuary as
declared by the Bangladesh Government. As a result, the flora and fauna of Sundarbans are well
preserved. Sundarbans are home to numerous species of animals, some of which are endemic to
Sundarbans.

The best attraction among the wildlife of Sundarbans is the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Sundarbans is also a wonderful haven for bird-watchers and photographers. About 320 species of
resident and migratory birds have been recorded in Sundarbans. Along the sluggish banks, egrets, storks,
herons, bitterns, sandpipers, curlews, and several other waders can be observed. There are several tern
and gull species, particularly near the coast and in big waterways. There are nine different species of
kingfishers in the Sundarbans. Woodpeckers, barbets, owls, bee-eaters, bulbuls, shrikes, drongos,
starlings, mynas, babblers, thrush, orioles, flycatchers, and many other bird species are among the
diverse avifauna of the forest. (Md. Ariful Hoque 2018)

3.3.5 Aquatic sports and Adventure tourism

Aquatic sports include underwater and surface activities such as snorkeling, SCUBA diving, free
diving, surfing, water skiing, kayaking, rafting, canoeing, kiteboarding or parasailing, fishing etc.
Sports activities like beach volleyball or water basketball can be a good addition. According to a
study by the Bangladesh Tourism Board, "The vast water resources offer ample opportunities for
adventure tourism such as water rafting, kayaking, and boating" (Bangladesh Tourism Board, 2020). The
survey participants have also shown considerable interests in various water-based adventure
activities.
Among these, snorkeling, SCUBA diving, free diving, surfing, water skiing and kiteboarding or
parasailing are normally sea or beach oriented activities. In Bangladesh, Saint Martin’s Island
could be a perfect spot for snorkeling, SCUBA diving, free diving because of its coral reef and
crystal-clear water. Surfing, water skiing and parasailing have limited availability in the Cox’s
Bazar area. These exciting activities can be introduced in other sea beaches in Bangladesh also.

However, the availability of these activities is limited in other marine tourism destinations in
Bangladesh (Aditi Chanchani 2019) . The scarcity of these activities is hampering the
potential growth of adventure tourism in the country. Introducing canoeing or kayaking in
other marine tourism destinations can add to the attraction for tourists (Rakib 2021).

3.3.6 Island Hopping

The concept of island hopping is relatively new in Bangladesh. Island hopping refers to moving
between islands, especially as a tourist in a region with several small islands. Island hopping can
be introduced in Bangladesh by choosing a cluster of islands and arranging a convenient water
transport service for the tourists. The estuarine island cluster of ‘Hatiya-Sandwip-Nijhum Dwip-
Monpura-Char Kukri Mukri’ or the southern cluster of ‘Saint Martin’s-Sonadia-Kutubdia-
Maheshkhali’ could be prospective island hopping destinations in Bangladesh.

3.3.7 Community-based cultural tourism

Although community-based tourism is still in its infancy, there is a great scope to introduce
Community based cultural tourism in Bangladesh by integrating the local residents and
displaying their lifestyle and culture to the tourists. (Hassan 2021) In the coastal islands, the
opportunity to stay with locals and observe their lifestyle, particularly activities like fishing, fish
drying, salt production can be a great attraction for local and foreign tourists. The unique fishing
technique of fishing with the help of otters by the local fishermen in Sundarbans region or the
sight of the ‘Mawals’ or the honey collectors collecting honey from the deep forest have all the
potential to be iconic tourism attractions.
Some of the religious or cultural festivals also have significant potential for tourism. For
example, the colorful ‘Shangrai’ or New Year Festival among the local Rakhine community in
Kuakata or the 13-day long annual fair at the Adinath Temple in Maheshkhali are held. In Dublar
Char, during the third week of November, under the full moon, the Hindu community observes
their holy festival, Rash Mela, and devotees from all over the country come to join. These
festivals can be great attractions for tourists, both local and foreigners alike.

3.3.8 Night tourism activities

Night tourism is defined as any sort of tourism activity that is an extension or continuation of typical
daytime tourism activities. Watching movies, night cultural shows or concerts, fireworks and laser
shows, night fair, shopping at night markets, casinos, outdoor camping with bonfires, B-b-q
party, star gazing are some of the most common night activities in tourism destinations.
95.5% of the respondents attending the survey have chosen outdoor camping and B-b-q as one
of their preferable night activities. In fact, Outdoor camping and bonfire are the only night

activities available in most of the marine tourism spots. Only in Cox’s Bazar, tourists have night
activity option like movies, shopping and occasional cultural shows and concerts. All the
participants in the survey have responded that they either did not have any sort of night
tourism facilities available (52.4%) or had very little options (47.6%). This finding clearly shows
that, more night activities are needed to be introduced in the tourism destinations of
Bangladesh.
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