TDS Desk:

Large numbers of tourists are seen visiting the Sundarbans, largest mangrove forest in the world, braving the winter weather coupled with dense fog sweeping the region for the last couple of days.

Basically, the tourists from home and abroad are taking tastes of scenic beauty of different parts of the forest boarding either on trawlers and launches amid festive mood.

On the two-day weekends Friday and Saturday, huge numbers of tourists were seen at Karamjal, one of the main tourists spots.

Talking to BSS at Karamjal Tourist spot on Sunday, Ranjan Majumder, a private university student, said his experience was very much charmful. None can realise the natural beauty of Sundarbans after only reading books.

He said there are lots of things to be learnt from the forest along with its diversity.

Shawkat Chowddhury from Narayanganj said he never came to the forest before expressing better experience over enjoying the lush beauty ignoring the cold bite.

Hawlader Azad Kabir, Officer-in-Charge of Karamjal Tourist and Wildlife Breeding Centre, said huge numbers of tourists are coming here every day, particularly on the weekends, despite the winter weather. The rising number of visitors are mounting the revenue earning, he added.

Azad Kabir said the foreign tourists are also making them happy after witnessing the beauties of the forest. On Saturday, 16 tourists came here from England and Russia. Earlier on Wednesday, the first day of the New Year, 38 foreign tourists from eight countries went round the forest.

The present trend will continue until February, he added.

Talking to BSS, Mihir Kumar Doe, Conservator of Forests in Khulna, said they have already opened three more eco-tourism centres and another is going to be launched in the Sundarbans to manage the rising number of tourists.

Sundarbans is seeing a sharp rise in the number of tourists, prompting the authorities to set up more four eco-tourism centres in Alibanda, Andamanik, Shekhertek and Kalabagi.

There are already seven eco-tourism centres at Karamjal, Herbaria, Kalagachia, Katka, Kochikhali, Dubla char and Heron Point area for tourists.

The authorities have erected watchtowers, hanging bridges, full trails for walking, round room for sitting and pontoons for getting on and off waterways and rest houses in different places.

Tourists normally visit the three centres in Karamjal, Herbaria and Kalagachia with a fixed entry fee and they return within the day.

On an average, more than one lakh local and foreign tourists visit the Sundarbans every year, bringing revenue more than Taka 1 crore.

Sundarbans directly and indirectly support the livelihood of more than 10 lakh people as this mangrove forest protects coastal people from cyclones and floods as a shield.

A feasibility study is also being conducted to build a world-class tourism facility near Sundarbans, keeping its ecosystem intact to make the mangrove forest as one of the attractive tourist destinations.