DHAKA – "Nobody visits Bangladesh, not even Bangladeshis," is a common refrain. Bangladesh has the dubious honour of being the only South Asian country not mentioned in any serious tourist brochure. But the fact is that if you go looking for it, you will find tourism in Bangladesh.
While the efforts of the Parjatan (Tourism) Corporation are sluggish like those of any other government agency, the private sector has taken initiatives, and tourism destinations today include the mangrove woodlands of Sundarban, the inland region with its villages and meandering rivers, and the beach of Cox's Bazaar.
Sundarban is the world's largest mangrove forest, located south of Dhaka where the deltaic country meets the ocean. An added attraction is the Royal Bengal Tiger, often visible while gliding along the placid canals on motor launches. While large tracts of Sunderban have been felled by timber contractors, there are areas where the locals, knowns as Bawali, continue with their traditional lifestyle. The wrath of the tiger, often man-eating, is such that the Bawali call him "baro miah" (the boss), and they regularly worship "Bonbibi" (Forest Goddess), hoping she will keep his anger and hunger under control.
For those who prefer a rural to wilderness experience, there is Bangladesh's version of eco-tourism along the river Padma (which is made up of the flow of the Ganga and Brahmaputra). A tour package is organised by the activists of a group known as the People's Environment Programme to raise funds for its projects. Says Saleem Samad, a member of the group: "The whole tour is so natural, and the local villagers act as guides. You suddenly discover that Bangladesh has sights which are as good as those we watch on foreign TV."