Tourist spots in Sylhet are now extremely busy for three days in a row. Hoteliers are struggling to accommodate tourists in Sylhet.
Tourists across the country went out to visit different places on the holiday of the great Victory Day. Tourists have been coming to the tourist centers of Sylhet since Thursday morning. People with family and friends from different parts of the country rushed to Sylhet on Wednesday night, thus, hotel and motel traders are struggling to accommodate the influx of tourists. Travelers around the country, capitalizes on these three days, the holiday of the Great Victory Day and the weekly holidays. Hazrat Shahjalal (R.) Dargah Sharif of Sylhet, Bichnakandi, Jaflong, Lalakhal, Bholaganj Sadapathar, Shimul Bagan of Tahirpur and all the tourist spots were seen cramped on the first day of the holiday last Thursday. On the first and second day alone, hundreds of thousands of tourists have flocked to Sylhet region. This number may increase further on Saturday, the concerned said.
It is learned that most of the hotels and motels in all the tourist spots including the city had been booked in advance a week ago.
Salma Akhter of Kishoreganj, who came to visit Sylhet with her family members, said that she came to Sylhet with eight family members on Wednesday night. After spending the night at a hotel in Dargah area,s he visited the shrine in the morning and came to Sadapathar area at 10 am.
Tayef Ahmed came to Sylhet in a microbus with friends from Netrokona to visit the shrines. He said, “I arrived in Sylhet in the morning. Then I visited the shrines of Shahjalal (Rah.) And Shahparan (Rah.). I will leave Jaflong and Lalkhal for Netrokona.”
Abu Taher Shoaib, president of the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said most of the residential hotels in Sylhet have been booked by tourists since a week ago due to three consecutive days off. No hotel owner is taking extra rent. With extra tourists coming to Sylhet, they have to struggle to find a place. Ratan Sheikh, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sylhet Jaflong Zone of Tourist Police, told Bangladesh Post that the presence of tourists in Jaflong and Bichnakandi has been increasing since 8 am on Thursday.
Police are warning tourists about various issues. At the same time, authorities are keeping an eye on the tourists so that they are not subjected to any kind of harassment.
Sylhet Region Tourist Superintendent of Police Mohammad Altaf Hossain said tourists were flocking to the tourist spots in Sylhet for the three-day holiday. Overall security has been beefed up by the tourist police. At the same time tourists are being monitored.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Ashraf Ullah Taher told, "We are already working on the issue of tourists. Police have been deployed at various places in the city to prevent tourists from being harassed. Security has been beefed up at every corner of the city. Besides, the traffic department is working to reduce traffic congestion.”
Jaintapur Model Police Station OC Dastagir Ahmed said the overflowing crowd of tourists is now in the area. Teams of police personnel will be in the field to ensure the service of tourists. If there is any problem somewhere, authorities will take immediate action.