Sreemangal abuzz with tourists

The scenic tourist spots of Sreemangal upazila in the district are buzzing with tourists, as many people from different places came to visit the area during the weeklong vacation.

The preferred areas for the tourists are Sreemangal tea gardens, Bangladesh Tea Research Institute, Tea Museum, Bangladesh Wildlife Sheba Foundation, Hail Haor, Baikka Beel, Mini Zoo, Birds Park, Seven Colour Tea Cabin, Cha Konna Memorial, Lawacherra forest, Badhyabhumi-71, Monipuri village, Khasi village in Sreemangal.

“Tourism business in the area has increased during the holidays,” said Arman Khan, assistant general manager of Sreemangal Grand Sultan Tea resort.

The occupancy rates in hotels and resorts in popular tourist destinations are very high during the holidays for Buddha Purnima, May Day and Shab-e-Barat.

“We are selling a large number of tickets this time. Over 400 tickets have been sold in last two hours,” ticket seller Munim Mia said at the entrance of Lawacherra forest on Wednesday morning.”

“I am now selling Monipuri textile items worth Tk 5,000 to Tk 8,000 daily at our shop during whereas it was Tk 1,000 to Tk 2,000 in usual time,” said Mahmudur Rahman, a salesman at Monipuri market in Sreemangal.

Meanwhile, famous tourist spots, including Jaflong in Sylhet, see only a small number of visitors as around 20 kilometres of Sylhet-Jaflong highway from Jaintapur to Jaflong is lying in an awfully dilapidated condition.

While visiting the road on Tuesday, this correspondent saw numerous potholes on the highway, especially at Jaflong, Mamar Dokan, Mohammadpur, Guchchhagram, Tamabil land port, Naljuri, Mokambari, Alubagan, Mokampunji, Sripur, Assampara, Rangpani, Biraimara, Changil, Jaintipur Bazar and Sarighat.

“A large number of tourists from across the country used to visit Sylhet's Jaflong and Lalakhal during holidays but the number sees gradual decline due to the roads' poor condition,” said Md Moin Uddin Khan, a tourist guide at Jaflong.

“We felt scared while travelling on the potholed road,” said Sukumar Biswas, a government official who came from Khulna with family to visit Lalakhal and Jaflong in Sylhet.

It takes two hours to cross the 20-km part of the highway, said Zaman Mia, driver of a bus plying the route.

Hazi Azir Uddin, president of Jaflong Truck Owners Association, said, “Accidents have increased due to the bad condition of the road. We are also incurring huge loss due to the damage to the vehicles caused while plying the rough road.”