Journal of Tourism & Hospitality
Open Access

Abstract

Bangabandhu – The Great Philosopher, Nature Lover and Tourist Champion will glorify Tourism in Bangladesh as “Father of Tourism Industry”

Sheikh Mahabub Alam

Bangabandhu in my opinion is the greatest soul Bangla has ever produced and there is no other leader in the entire world that is comparable with him. He was the greatest politician, philosopher and tourism lover the world has ever produced. He was the kindest person the world has ever noticed, he loved everyone more than he loved his own family and children. He even ignored Indira Gandhi’s warning that some army officers are conspiring to kill him. The world has seen what happened afterward in august 1975.

His courage knew no bounds. The word fear was not in his dictionary. He proved his courage in 1939 when Sheer-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq and Mr. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy came to visit his school and inquired about the wellbeing of the student and the school. Nobody dared to say anything including the teachers but one boy stood up with courage and said the roof is damaged and rain water leaks into the class room and classes are disrupted during rainy season. That boy was our Bangabandhu and Mr. Suhrawardy saw future leadership in him and praised his courage with the invitation to meet him in Calcutta. He took his advice and went to Calcutta for higher study and at the same time he teamed up with Mr. Suhrawardy and Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq and took politics as part of his life, later he lead the language movement, the war of independence and finally brought the freedom for the nation.

Bangabandhu loved his country and countrymen more than his children. That love encouraged him to travel the entire country. He toured from Teknaf to Tetulia and from Sundarban to Jaflong-Tamabil with the spirit of Tourism. In fact he has travelled most of the villages in every Thana (Upazilla) of Bangladesh and was amazed by the natural beauty of the country and he was looking for a model to develop tourism, later he found his model in Switzerland. The countrymen showered him with their love and affection which was proved by the result of the election held in 1970, a landslide victory the world has ever noticed.

Nobody knows the country, its people, its natural beauty and its prospect for tourism better than Bangabandhu. He was the architect behind the development of a master plan to make Cox’s Bazar as a mini Switzerland, the idea came to him during his health recovery visit to Switzerland, and he wanted to develop St. Martin’s Island (only Coral Reef Island) as a tourism wonderland. He himself planted the Tamarisk (Jhau) forest along the beaches of Cox’s bazar. After the independence when Bangabandhu’s topmost priority was to rebuild the destroyed country and feed the hungry millions, he felt with his talent and farsightedness that tourism development will bring millions of dollars to expedite the rebuilding process of the country. He created Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) by himself. The master plan to develop Cox’s Bazar was done under his direct supervision. Tourism was always in his priority lists while he was a national leader, statesman or the President of the country. On the basis of his endless contribution towards tourism it is my privilege to honor him with the title of the “Father of Tourism Industry”.

It would be my humble request to our honorable Prime Minister -Desh Ratna- Sheikh Hasina to officially declare the architect of Bangladesh and Father of the Nation as the “Father of Tourism Industry”. This declaration will only glorify our country.