Visitors remain thin as tourist spots reopen  

 The number of visitors remained thin across popular tourist spots and parks in Dhaka on Thursday, the first day of reopening after being closed for around five months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 Since morning, children were seen enjoying rides at Shishu Mela at Dhaka’s Shyamoli after a long time since the pandemic hit the country.

 “A mother is the happiest when she sees her children enjoying their time. I am very happy to see my child enjoying the rides here after such a long time,” said Shayla Khatun, a housewife who came to Shishu Mela with her children.

“My children could not go out of our home due to the lockdown. So they were very excited to know that amusement parks will reopen from Thursday. We have come here today to relax and enjoy,” she added.

 The Cabinet Division on August 12 announced that tourist spots and amusement parks will be allowed to reopen on August 19, on the condition of maintaining strict health guidelines set by the government.

 Although most tourist spots, hotels and amusement parks have reopened, Bangladesh National Zoo at Dhaka’s Mirpur remains cautious in allowing visitors to see the animals.

 Talking to The Business Post, National Zoo Director and Curator Dr Md Abdul Latif said “As we have very expensive and rare animals at the zoo, we are still observing the coronavirus situation in the country before opening up to the public again.”

 However, he said the zoo was ready to reopen anytime considering the pandemic situation.

 Meanwhile in Cox’s Bazar, the country’s most popular tourist spot, and other tourist areas, visitor turnout remained low on the first day of reopening on Thursday.

Talking to The Business Post, Cox’s Bazar Federation of Tourism Services Association of Bangladesh Secretary Abul Kashem Shikder said, “Business owners are ready to welcome tourists in hotels, motels, and entertainment centers in compliance with the government’s health guidelines and regulations.”

 Meanwhile, Tourism Resort Industries Association of Bangladesh (TRIAB) President Khabir Uddin Ahmed said, “In consultation with various stakeholders, we have created a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which will serve as a guideline for all tourism-related businesses in the country during the pandemic period.”