TDS Desk

There are only 1,400 members in the Tourist Police whereas there are 1,600 tourist spots across the country, Additional Inspector General of Police Md Mainul Hasan, chief of the specialised police unit, said today (27 January).

“Nevertheless, the Tourist Police is providing uninterrupted security at a total of 130 spots in 32 districts. In addition, if any foreign tourist or tourist groups in Bangladesh want security, they are also provided with support,” he said in a courtesy meeting with the executive committee of the Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) in Dhaka.

Mainul said tourists are frustrated due to various reasons including lack of facilities at various tourist spots in the country.

Regarding the challenges of the work of the tourist police, he said, “The biggest tourist spot in Bangladesh is Cox’s Bazar sea beach. However, there are not enough toilets near this beach, no place to change clothes after bathing, and no safe place to keep mobile phones or bags.

“Still, a large number of tourists regularly go to Cox’s Bazar. They often express their disappointment to the tourist police on these issues.”

At the meeting, Additional Superintendent of Police (Media) Nadia Farzana gave a powerpoint presentation on the activities of the tourist police.

In addition to providing security, the tourist police patrol tourist-populated areas, cooperate in operating mobile courts, create awareness and provide training among hotel, motel and resort owners, install high-resolution cameras at important tourist spots and conduct real-time monitoring, she said.

She further said a Tourist Police booth will be set up at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. From that booth, foreign tourists will get an idea about various tourist centres in Bangladesh as soon as they land in the country. Besides, they may need police security while traveling in the country. Tourists will also be assisted from this booth in those matters.

Additional DIG of Dhaka-Sylhet-Mymensingh Division of Tourist Police Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain, Additional DIG of Khulna-Barisal Division Md Iqbal, Additional DIG of Chattogram Division Bidhan Tripura, Additional DIG of Tourist Police Headquarters Mohammad Shah Jalal, and Superintendent of Police (Logistics and Development) SM Jahangir Alam Sarkar were present at the meeting.

They said in order to allow the Tourist Police to work smoothly, some legal obstacles and limitations must be removed and manpower must be increased.

The unit is currently operating its headquarters by renting three floors in a building on Topkhana Road in Dhaka. The unit now needs land and infrastructure construction, they said.

They also expressed the need for specialised modern training abroad for Tourist Police.