Despite the truth that the trend of Sabrang Tourism Park project in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar became initiated in 2016, the project quiet remains unfinished.
Authorities enthusiastic and stakeholders talked about the project’s development became stalled attributable to bureaucratic tangles in procuring land, the coronavirus pandemic, lack of great trend funds and a lax manner on the total.
Nonetheless, in response to Beza’s present five-year thought, all service connections for investors at the park are anticipated to be achieved by 2029.
Tourism consultants and trade stakeholders talked about the project wants to be achieved urgently as Cox’s Bazar, dwelling to the arena’s longest pure sea beach, mixed with its hills, marine drive, and the coral island of Saint Martin, is a top vacation characteristic for international tourists.
The Sabrang Tourism Park, spanning 967 acres procedure the endpoint of the Marine Force avenue in Teknaf, is being developed by the Bangladesh Financial Zones Authority (Beza).
In 2016, Beza initiated the trend of three tourism parks across 11,000 acres of land in Teknaf and Maheshkhali upazilas, including Sabrang Tourism Park, Naf Tourism Park, on 271 acres of land, and Sonadia Eco Tourism Park, on 9,467 acres.
Nonetheless, the total development of the initiatives has been gradual, with handiest Sabrang and Sonadia seeing some cling of trend.
Talking to The Alternate Customary, Paban Chowdhury, a ragged executive chairman of Beza, talked about, “At the second [in 2016], handiest land acquisition started, however the development became gradual attributable to styles.”
He talked about after his retirement from Beza in 2021, the project has viewed no additional trend.
Per him, by the point he left, handiest the chief constructing, visitor condo, photo nook, and security embankment had been achieved, with the project quiet stalled at that stage.
Beza sources talked about 119.seventy 9 acres of land has been allocated to 26 investors at Sabrang Tourism Park, with investment proposals amounting to roughly $421 million.
Beza has planned to total the infrastructure trend of Sabrang within the following five years and to price this, they enjoy got submitted a four-year project proposal to the govt, with a funds of roughly Tk2,000 crore, the sources added.
A significant share of this funds, spherical Tk500 crore, is reserved for the trend of a “immense dyke,” a proper embankment designed to give protection to the park from high sea tides, they additional talked about.
Nonetheless, the project is quiet looking ahead to govt approval.
Local companies corresponding to Ifad Team, DIRD Composite Textiles Ltd, Patwary Endeavor, East West Travels and Excursions, and DIPTA Dresses Ltd enjoy bought land for resort trend at the park.
Nonetheless, in response to representatives from four of these companies, the scarcity of infrastructure has avoided them from starting attach aside constructing.
Two foreign companies furthermore enjoy plans to construct accommodations at Sabrang. The companies are Singapore-basically based Inter-Asia Team, which has already bought 40 acres of land, and Netherlands-basically based firm Lizard Sports activities.
Reiterating the urgency of polishing off the tourism park, Mohammed Rafiuzzaman, president of the Tour Operators Affiliation of Bangladesh (TOAB), talked about the park’s completion will enable foreign tourists to soundly revel within the sea beach even at evening, vastly boosting tourism.
Regardless of Bangladesh having all seven key tourism attractions – rivers, seas, mountains, forests, history, custom, seasonal adaptations, and hospitality – the nation lags within the reduction of its neighbours in attracting foreign tourists. In 2023, Bangladesh welcomed 650,000 foreign guests, with the majority coming from India, followed by the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, and Italy.
In comparability, the Maldives and Sri Lanka attracted 1.8 million and 1.5 million international tourists, respectively.
Talking to TBS, Shiblul Azam Qureshi, a governing physique member of the Bangladesh Tourism Board, talked about, “About 30 lakh Bangladeshis jog in yet one more nation once a year, inflicting a significant outflow of bucks.”
“If the initiative to originate the tourism park turns into stagnant, the investments there’ll furthermore stay stagnant. Therefore, the govt.wants to prioritise this field,” he added.
Cable car to connect two parks
Per Beza’s five-year motion thought for tourism trend, a gaze is being carried out for a cable car of about 8.5km from the marine drive adjacent to Sabrang Park to Naf Tourism Park by technique of Netang Hill. The gaze is kind of total, and the cable car is anticipated to be achieved by 2026, Beza sources talked about.
Beza has furthermore taken an initiative to characteristic up an uncommon zone for foreigners in Sabrang Tourism Park. The 100-acre uncommon zone could be the principal of its kind in Bangladesh.
The sources furthermore talked about by 2025, all very principal service connections for investors at Sabrang Tourism Park are anticipated to be achieved.
The no longer too long within the past retired Beza executive chairman Md Sarwar Bari told TBS that the land trend work at Sabrang Tourism Park has been achieved. A detailed project proposal (DPP) has been ready to be definite that every one essential utility facilities for the park, he added.
Progress at Naf and Sonadia tourism parks
Per Beza sources, the master thought for Naf Tourism Park has been authorized and the trend authority is actively looking out for every local and foreign investors to originate the park, which is ready to be located on Jaliar Island on the Naf River procedure Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf upazila.
To attract seemingly builders, Beza issued a international gentle on 7 Could perhaps perhaps, inspiring proposals to originate the park under a kind, construct, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) mannequin by a public-within most partnership (PPP).
Equally, the master thought for Sonadia Eco-Tourism Park has furthermore been authorized, with the trend of the park under PPP receiving in-precept approval.
Sources talked about Beza has achieved several key infrastructure initiatives, including land trend, administrative structures, dykes, bridges, and energy connections at Sonadia park.
The park will characteristic facilities corresponding to resort complexes, eco-tourism parts, floating jetties, a marine aquarium, eco-cottages, and floating restaurants.
