Khulna Foreign tourists are increasing in Sundarbans.

Md. Shamim Hossain – Khulna Foreign tourists are increasing in Sundarbans. Sundarbans is a world heritage site of natural beauty. It is as if nature has arranged the Sundarbans with her hands full. Sundarbans is the favorite place of any tourist because of being surrounded by dense green environment. In this busy tourist season, local and foreign tourists are overwhelmed by the beauty of Sundarbans. Although tourists come and go to Sundarbans throughout the year, the tourist traders are struggling to cope with the pressure of tourists at the moment. The businessmen related to tourism said that the various tourist centers inside the Sundarbans are now crowded with tourists. And a large part of these tourists are foreign tourists. Sundarbans, the world’s best mangrove forest, surrounds the mysteries of nature. Rows of beautiful, pashur, keora, geva and golpa trees. As far as the eye can see, it is as if an artist has created a green forest. Spectacular herds of Chitral deer, calls of forest roosters, chirping of monkeys, buzzing of bees and the roar of the world famous Royal Bengal Tiger. Because of these diversity, Sundarbans has always been valued by foreign tourists. In the last two years, the number of foreign tourists has dropped due to the corona virus. But now that picture has changed completely. Abu Naser Mohammad Mahasin Hossain, Divisional Officer of Sundarban West Forest Division, said this good news. He said that besides domestic tourists, the traffic of foreign tourists has increased in Sundarbans. Till December 228 foreigners visited Sundarbans and the revenue was Rs 7 lakh 43 thousand. How many foreign tourists have traveled to Sundarbans this month will be known at the end of the month. Besides, Divisional Forest Officer of East Sundarbans Division, Muhammad Belayet Hossain said that the number of foreign tourists is increasing in Sundarbans along with domestic tourists. In the current season, 40 thousand 78 tourists including Ras Mela pilgrims have come to Sundarbans. Among them 7527 pilgrims. 477 foreigners. Domestic and foreign tourists have received total revenue of 62 lakh 12 thousand 865 taka. Director of Badaban Eco-cottage in Mongla South Chila. Liton Jamaddar said, in the new year, the traffic of foreign tourists as well as domestic tourists has increased in Sundarbans. Recently several tourists from Italy, France, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands who visited Sundarbans stayed in our cottage. They were impressed by enjoying the immense beauty of Sundarbans, living safely and eating quality food. In this regard, an Italian tourist named Alexandro staying in the cottage said, we are very impressed by the wonderful beauty of Sundarbans. I like it a lot. The food and management of the cottage I stayed in was excellent. Such a cottage is unthinkable in the rural areas of Bangladesh. Shariful Islam Hiran, owner of Uda Tours and Travels, told Banglanews that winter is the best time to travel to Sundarbans safely. That is why tourists are coming to Sundarbans to make proper use of time. Hiran said, recently a tourist team of 10-11 people from England visited Sundarbans under the supervision of our travel agency. Meanwhile, tourism-related businessmen are happy with the increase in domestic and foreign tourists. They say that Bangladesh will become economically stronger only if the potential tourism sector can be awakened. If we want to advance Bangladesh like a developed country, we have to give importance or attention to this sector. And if you can attract foreign tourists, the revenue in this sector will increase a lot. Sundarbans has some fascinating places to visit. If you don’t go to the Sundarbans, it won’t be worth your while. Such as Hiran Point, Dublar Char, Sarankhola, Chalkata, Tiger Point Tower, Tiger Point Sea Beach, Jamtala Sea Beach, Sat Nadiman Mukh, Kalichar are notable. It is important to keep a supply of soft drinks with you while travelling. Besides first aid box and experienced tour operator. After obtaining permission from the Forest Officer, well-trained and armed forest guards will be required during the tour.

Residential project occupying canal land in Khulna.

Md. Shamim Hossain –

Khulna Behind the new jail under construction in Khulna is a swamp. If you look there, you will see rows of signboards hanging in the swamp. The site has been earmarked as a metropolitan residential project. Locals said that agriculture was going on there in 2019 as well. Later, a business company named Bismillah Properties started buying land there. On the one hand they started selling wetlands in the form of plots, on the other they started filling it with sand. Not only Bismillah Properties, hundreds of such land buying and selling businesses have been established in the growing areas of the city. Those who have one or more housing projects. All this is done by filling up farmlands and water bodies, encroaching on rivers and clearing vegetation. These projects are built on both sides of City Bypass Road and City Outer Bypass Road bordering Khulna city. Khulna Development Authority (KDA) did not approve even one of these projects as it did not follow the rules. The businessmen are resorting to various frauds in selling the plots of these projects. Plots are sold by managing the buyers in various ways including mind-blowing flashy advertisements, payment method in installments, plan pass assistance from KDA. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Saltachara police station of Khulna Metropolitan Police, Enamul Haque said, housing traders and land buyers are often involved in trouble. Due to various temptations of the buyers, the businessmen take money by making a contract for the sale of land. Later, at the time of handing over the deed, ask for a higher price. Such complaints come to the police station. Talking to several project officers and locals, it is known that even just 3 to 4 years ago, the price of land in those places was from 50 thousand to 2 lakh rupees per cent. But now the land is being sold at the rate of 3.5 lakh to 9 lakh rupees per century as the land has gone into the possession of housing traders. Iqbal Ahmed, project executive of the metropolitan residential project of Bismillah Properties, said that the price of land here is 6 lakh per cent. The project has about 250 bighas of land. About 500 people have been sold land in the form of plots. Earlier this land was swamp. They have been filling with sand for the last two years. In response to the question whether the permission of the administration is taken to dump the sand in the swamp, Iqbal Ahmed said, ‘Here everyone fills the land like this. We are making it a place for people to live.”More such illegal projects include Mirbagh Housing, Golden City, Ima Housing, City Residential, Sulaiman Properties, Moon Real Estate. These residences are located in Gutudia Union of Dumuria Upazila near Khulna city. Chairman of the union Sheikh Tuhinul Islam Tuhin said, “These land traders do not obey any law.” We do not pay tax and trade license as per rules. They have already taken over about 50 government canals in our area. And there is no account of how many hundreds of bighas of khas land are in their possession. They are creating roads by uprooting the vegetation of the government land, occupying the canals and filling them, making pool-culverts. When we talk about these things, they file a case. Later, by showing the copy of the case, they occupied the government land. As they are very influential, we do not have to do anything. KDA planning department sources said that there are a total of 108 illegal housing projects around Khulna city. None of which was approved. According to the Real Estate Development and Management Act, if you want to conduct land business in the area under the jurisdiction of KDA, you must first take registration from KDA. It requires trade license, tax identification number (TIN) certificate, value added tax (VAT) registration number, experience in project formulation and implementation and qualification certificate of technical persons (educational qualification certificate of architects, engineers and planners and membership certificate of relevant professional bodies). . After reviewing these documents, registration is given from KDA. KDA Chairman SM Mirazul Islam said that many areas of Khulna city are still unplanned. And the newly developed areas will not be habitable if not planned. So they have not yet approved any housing project as it is not in accordance with the law. However, Mahfuzur Rahman Mukul, Khulna Divisional Coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), said that KDA is responsible for planned development in the city. Therefore, KDAK has to play the main role of eliminating the activities of illegal housing. Meanwhile, the water drainage system of the city has been destroyed due to encroachment of government canals by housing traders. Now a little rain brings accountability to the city.

The clothing market is hot in the cold stream.

Md. Shamim Hossain –

Khulna Like the rest of the country, in Khulna on Tuesday (January 25), when the sun shines, the severity of winter does not subside immediately. As the temperature starts to rise from morning, life becomes somewhat normal. However, the city’s market stalls were crowded to buy warm clothes. Most of the people gathered in the footpath and old market of the city. At around 11 o’clock in the meantime, a couple with two children was walking from one shop to another; But Sadh was getting a little disappointed as he could not match his ability. At one point in the conversation, he said, his name is Chagir Mia. The house is in Naihati village of Rupsa upazila. Van driver by profession. They have to buy warm clothes, but because the price is high, they are returning home empty-handed. Not only Chagir Miai, many like him were disappointed when they came to buy summer clothes. Along with the rest of the country, the temperature of Khulna continues to decrease. People become lazy in winter. Especially working people are in trouble. They had to go to work because of stomach cramps. To escape from the severity of winter, some have kept warm by lighting fires in the streets. As a result, to protect from the winter, everyone is running in the markets. In the morning, Chagir Mia was talking about her suffering at Stadium Market in the city. He said, what is going on in the world with what he earns. But he could not drive the van due to continuous cold flow in the country for the past few days. So come to his market this morning to drive the van during winter. Loved the warm clothes but could not cope with the price. Returning home without buying warm clothes. Ismail, a businessman in that market, said that the price of everything has increased greatly since Corona. The price of old clothes has increased. Earlier I used to buy the bundle of clothes for 7/8 thousand taka. Now it has to be bought for 13 thousand rupees. That is why the prices of jackets, hoodies and sweaters have increased. If traders increase its price, we have nothing to do. Sharmin Akhter Sunu, a student of Government Azam Khan Commerce College, said that the prices of all things have increased massively. I thought that the price in the district stadium market is lower than the big markets. But after coming here I found out that the price is the same here. So he is returning by buying less instead of buying more. Gholam Rasul, a resident of West Baniyakhamar area, said that the price of the jacket will be lower when he comes to Jabbar Samari, but the price here is higher than the new one. So he returned home empty-handed. Apart from this, many lower and middle class people spent busy time shopping in various markets including Jabbar Samari, New Market, Shibbari Mor, Majid Samari.