S.A Shofiee, Sylhet :
The tourists’ spots in Sylhet have been best with manifold problems including mismanagement, inadequacy of tourists’ police, absence of check posts and insecurity, communication constraints, adequacy of rest houses, absence of parking places, absence of hygienic restaurants etc.
It has been observed that 4/5 years ago, tourists and holiday-makes would come to Sylhet to visit tea-gardens, Jafloong and Madhabkunda cascade. But the days are gone. With those tourists spots many new ones have been included as objects of touring and holiday making spots now-a-days. It this list now, Ratargul, a swamp forest, Mayaban (fairy forest) and Bishanakandi a spot in Guainghat, the frontier Upazila in Sylhet, are included.
The holiday-makers across the country, expatriates and tourists come here in Sylhet tourists’ spots to avail themselves the opportunity of being attached to the sublime beauty of nature and the endless greenery.
Earlier Jafloong, the frontier touring spot surrounded by orange-orchard, tea-gardens, the stone and boulders, through which transparent water flows in the Piyain attracted the tourists and holiday-makers from across the country.
The lone swamp forest Ratargul has become a natural and sublime, soundless touring spot having plant-diversity and biodiversity as well. While travelling by boat, many wild animals like squirrels, kites, owls of various species, various birds of different colour and size, small and large, their chirping and flying hither and thither are marked. Various snakes are also seen coiling the trees. But it has been alleged that engine boat are now being operated on the water. The forest department has disbanded the floating of engine boats that create sound pollution for which the natural fauna will perish out soon, opined some of the holiday-makers, Zoologists and Botanists while talking to this correspondent. While roaming through the swamp forest Ratargul, the hiring charge of boat is asked Tk. 1,000-1,500/- by boat-men, the rent may be Tk. 500-600/- maximum. But there has not been any authority to look into the matter. Some locals and indigenous boatmen alleged that some times, forest departmental people go there and forbid to ply engine-boats, but the engine-boat men do not obey. The holiday-makers and tourists expressed their anguish and demanded the authoritative and punitive measures to be taken up against these illegal plying of engine-boots and asking of exorbitant rent to tour the touring spots particularly Ratargul where a high tower to watch birds and other animals have been built, in order to have view of plantation around the lone swamp forest in the country. It can be mentioned here that Sundarban, is called the world heritage but, touring there by engine boats and trawlers is always risky. But the swamp forest of Ratargul is absolutely free from those type of sudden aquatic (Crocodile) or Tiger’s attack. But the irony of fate in touring Ratargul has marked mixed experience.
The sublime beauty of nature attracts the tourists and holiday-makers most but the mismanagement persists in the swamp forest has made all-the enjoyment blunt, alleged an environmental activist Mr. Ashraful Kabir who further opined that if these mismanagement and anti-environmental activities are allowed to prosecute, our swamp forest Ratargul will perish out one day.
When contacted over, tourist police in-charge Abdun Noor, opined that there has been an acute dearth of tourist police personnels in the tourists spots. Only three tourists spots can be covered by this tourist place manpower. He stressed for more tourists police personnels for the betterment of the tourists and holiday makers who throng there during holidays. The long holidays of Eid and Durga Puja, the festivals of the Muslims and the Hindus respectively. He mentioned, there has not been tourist police personnels at Ratargul. He further opined that deployment of police at Ratargul is under active consideration of the forest department.
In Bichnakandi, the holiday-makers across the country and tourists also gather together in this season of Autumn. The perpetual verdure and endless greenery attract the tourists. The white and dark patches of clouds play hide and seek over the mountains of Zaintia across the border, is an addition to sublime beauty. The lone cascade of Madhabkunda, where holiday-makers and tourists throng and buzz the areas. Vehicles in cue gather there. People irrespective caste and creed, young and old gather there. There are no facilities of hygienic restaurants around Madhabkunda. The touring people have been demanding immediate solution of all those problems in order to retain the sanctuary an sanctity of all those tourists spots in Sylhet Division.
