BPC plans five-star hotels, training centres in Bagerhat, Khulna

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) plans to develop five-star hotels and tourism training centres in Bagerhat and Khulna as part of a broader initiative to strengthen tourism infrastructure at major destinations across the country.

BPC Chairman Md Samimuzzaman disclosed the plan at a press conference at Crowne Plaza Dhaka Gulshan on September 14, ahead of the 13th Asian Tourism Fair (ATF) 2026.

He said developing quality tourism infrastructure is crucial to making Bangladesh’s tourism industry more competitive and attracting greater investment.

“Tourism is not limited to recreation and travel. It is also an important driver of employment, investment and local economic development,” Samimuzzaman said.

He said the corporation is working to develop hotels, motels, restaurants, tourist facilities, rest houses and other hospitality infrastructure at important tourist destinations.

According to the BPC chairman, tourism expenditure has a wide economic impact, benefiting not only hotels but also transport operators, restaurants, tour operators, travel agencies, local guides, handicraft businesses, food producers, agriculture, entertainment companies and small and medium-sized enterprises.

“Tourism directly and indirectly creates substantial employment opportunities. In particular, it offers huge potential for women, local communities and small entrepreneurs,” he said.

Samimuzzaman said Bangladesh’s tourism development strategy should focus on “Tourism for Jobs, Tourism for Investment, and Tourism for Inclusive Development.”

He also identified convention facilities, wellness and medical tourism, adventure tourism, and heritage and archaeological tourism as areas with significant investment potential.

Public-private partnerships (PPP) and private investment could play an important role in developing these sectors, he added.

Meanwhile, the three-day 13th Asian Tourism Fair (ATF) 2026 will begin on September 17 at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka.

The fair will continue until September 19 and remain open from 10am to 7pm daily.

Organised by tourism magazine Parjatan Bichitra, the event is endorsed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and supported by BPC and the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB).

More than 200 organisations from 10 countries — Bangladesh, Thailand, the Philippines, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Malaysia, China and Pakistan — will participate in the fair, with around 300 booths across three halls.