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New Relationship via Tourism
Shri Khurshed Ali Mollah Director, former chairman of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka rightly said that the two regions are in a situation where they are ‘so near yet so far.’ Sylhet is only a one-hour drive away from Tamabil (Dawki) on the international border and it takes only 40 minutes to fly 
from Sylhet to Dhaka, said Mr. S.K. Lato Secretary of the Jaintia Tourism and Environment Society, Jowai which spearheaded the visit of the Bangla troupe to Jaintia. Yet this is the first time that efforts have been made to bridge the gap. It may not be out of place to mention that even if one uses surface transport, it hardly takes 7 hours to drive from Dhaka to Dawki.
Mr. F.R. Kharkongor, District Commissioner (DC). who is almost single handedly responsible for converting the district from a lesser-known tourist destination to a hub of tourist activities in the state, said in his inaugural speech at the workshop that Jaintia Hills is the nearest hill station for the people of Bangladesh. He urged the tour operators from Bangladesh to try promoting Jaintia Hills particularly to the people of different embassies in Dhaka. Kharkongor is of the opinion that if Jaintia Hills is properly packaged and present to the expatriate in that country, it will no doubt sell like hot cakes. With the distance of only a few hours between Dhaka and Dawki, Jaintia hills can also be projected as a weekend destination for the expatriate and elites of the Bangladesh society. It may be mentioned here that the district administration under the present incumbent has been able to developed many potential tourist sites in the district in to tourist destinations par-excellence. The annual tourism festival in the district known as the Discover Jaintia festival was indeed his brainchild.
The tourist operators from Bangladesh, namely, Mr. Khurshid Ali Mollah and Mrs Aleya Begum of A.B. Tours,
Mr. Md. Mokhlesur Rahman and Mrs Sheeleyna Akhter Banu of Green Tourism, Mr. Parvez Kamal Pasha of Bangladesh Eco Tours, Md Mustafa Chaudhury, Mr S.M. Farhan Rahman, Mr. S.M. Hafizur Rahman and Mrs Azmere Rahman of Evergreen Tourism, expressed their concern about this venture in to a oneway traffic but the DC reassured the visitors that cultural tourists will benefit both the parties because there are many people of Khasi Jaintia origin who live in Bangladesh and would like to visit their relatives and vice versa relatives from Jaintia would like to visit their relatives in Bangladesh. Then there are also those who would like to visit Jaintiapur, the winter capital of the earswhile Jaintia kingdom. Another concern that was brought to the table in the workshop is the non-availability of a Bangladesh Visa office closer to Jowai, in fact the nearest is at Agartala in Tripura. The two days visit end with a business meeting between the two sides at Orchid lake Inn, Thadlaskein, Jowai.
from Sylhet to Dhaka, said Mr. S.K. Lato Secretary of the Jaintia Tourism and Environment Society, Jowai which spearheaded the visit of the Bangla troupe to Jaintia. Yet this is the first time that efforts have been made to bridge the gap. It may not be out of place to mention that even if one uses surface transport, it hardly takes 7 hours to drive from Dhaka to Dawki. Mr. F.R. Kharkongor, District Commissioner (DC). who is almost single handedly responsible for converting the district from a lesser-known tourist destination to a hub of tourist activities in the state, said in his inaugural speech at the workshop that Jaintia Hills is the nearest hill station for the people of Bangladesh. He urged the tour operators from Bangladesh to try promoting Jaintia Hills particularly to the people of different embassies in Dhaka. Kharkongor is of the opinion that if Jaintia Hills is properly packaged and present to the expatriate in that country, it will no doubt sell like hot cakes. With the distance of only a few hours between Dhaka and Dawki, Jaintia hills can also be projected as a weekend destination for the expatriate and elites of the Bangladesh society. It may be mentioned here that the district administration under the present incumbent has been able to developed many potential tourist sites in the district in to tourist destinations par-excellence. The annual tourism festival in the district known as the Discover Jaintia festival was indeed his brainchild.
The tourist operators from Bangladesh, namely, Mr. Khurshid Ali Mollah and Mrs Aleya Begum of A.B. Tours,
Mr. Md. Mokhlesur Rahman and Mrs Sheeleyna Akhter Banu of Green Tourism, Mr. Parvez Kamal Pasha of Bangladesh Eco Tours, Md Mustafa Chaudhury, Mr S.M. Farhan Rahman, Mr. S.M. Hafizur Rahman and Mrs Azmere Rahman of Evergreen Tourism, expressed their concern about this venture in to a oneway traffic but the DC reassured the visitors that cultural tourists will benefit both the parties because there are many people of Khasi Jaintia origin who live in Bangladesh and would like to visit their relatives and vice versa relatives from Jaintia would like to visit their relatives in Bangladesh. Then there are also those who would like to visit Jaintiapur, the winter capital of the earswhile Jaintia kingdom. Another concern that was brought to the table in the workshop is the non-availability of a Bangladesh Visa office closer to Jowai, in fact the nearest is at Agartala in Tripura. The two days visit end with a business meeting between the two sides at Orchid lake Inn, Thadlaskein, Jowai.
