Latest Update From Bangladesh: Chattogram’s Karnaphuli Tunnel Service Area Holds Major Tourism Promise, Needs Redesign To Deliver

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

On nan slope of nan Karnaphuli river, wherever nan stream meets nan Bay of Bengal and nan oversea upwind blows mildly on Parki’s palm-fronded beach, stands a vast, silent and strangely desolate edifice – 72-acres of it, constructed pinch grace, hubris, and immoderate 450 crore taka of nationalist money. This is nan work area of Bangladesh’s first underwater tunnel, nan Karnaphuli Tunnel successful Chattogram.” Although nan passageway has been electrified since October 2023, nan work area supplied, which is highly infrastructure and sight-view-filled is comparatively sparse astatine present. But for tourism planners and officials astatine each levels and successful each states, it is simply a cardinal that could unlock an wholly caller era of location travel.

A Gem of a View pinch Bonus Location

The work area is strategically located successful nan Anwara upazila and is 4 kilometres distant from nan Shah Amanat International Airport and wrong 10 kilometers of 4 export processing zones and nan thriving Chattogram Port. A coddled environment, pinch Parki Beach 1 broadside and an adjoining formation a specified kilometre successful nan other, nan spot taps into 2 opposing energies – quality astatine play and manufacture astatine work.

“Being a transaction hub built by enterprises, Ctrip’s level offers chiefly business models for constituents wrong China and beyond, while nan tourism work providers are lacking,” READ’s Ye said. For overseas buyers stopping disconnected astatine its adjacent business zones this could mean world-class hotels pinch oversea views, while Bangladeshi families could 1 time travel to a high-end coastal retreat without ever leaving Bangladesh.

A High-Cost Vision Left Unused

The work area was astatine first planned arsenic a luxury residential development. With a VVIP bungalow, 30 designer designed cottages, normal centre, ultra modern restaurant, swimming pool, tennis courts, wellness centre, amphitheatre, mosque and moreover h2o curen plant, nan compound reeks of luxury and planning. But months aft nan passageway opened, it sits unoccupied, a gargantuan expenditure that stemmed from nan city’s tremendous wealthiness but has had small discernible effect connected it.

There was not capable moving and nary progressive committee to nonstop nan organizations. The complex, consisting of landscaped gardens and winding soul roads, has not yet hosted a paying guest.

A Tunneler’s Financial Burden

This underutilisation will beryllium a load connected nan wide Karnaphuli Tunnel project, which magnitude to complete TK10,000 crore. The passageway only serves an mean of astir 3,934 vehicles per day. The toll collected, astir TK10. 4 lakh a day, which only meets 30 percent of regular expenditure of TK37. 5 lakh. That has created a regular shortfall of much than TK26 lakh and a full nonaccomplishment of complete TK90 crore.

Officials pinch nan Bangladesh Bridge Authority person admitted to emotion nan financial pinch. Now, leasing nan work area to backstage operators is being considered arsenic a measurement to unlock gross streams, much afloat usage nan tunnels and utilization nan site’s untapped tourism potential.

A Fresh Emphasis connected Private Sector Involvement

The work area was put retired to lease for tourism activity by nan Bangladesh Bridge Authority connected June 29 and section tenders were invited. The lease is expected to tally adjacent to 30 years, and decisions will beryllium taken connected finance successful caller facilities, visitant numbers and business plans.

“The scope already person nan world people infrastructure,’ said Bridges Division Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rouf. Making this disposable and leasing it will make economical revenue, but will besides make these accommodation unfastened to nan public. It tin beryllium a large boost for tourism and generating nan gross to dress up for nan tunnel’s impact.”

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While nan leasing strategy is to beryllium welcomed – who wouldn’t want to walk a nighttime connected a pristine island? – immoderate experts judge that nan area’s original creation has small respect for tourism. Brigadier General ASM Ali, CEO of Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View, noted that nan confined and secluded quality of nan premises could beryllium amended adapted arsenic a edifice arsenic opposed to a accepted hotel. He besides pointed retired that nan formation and nan neighbouring stream estuary are not presently accessible from nan site, which would make it little charismatic to guests.

He said a study should person been conducted by an world tourism advisor to cheque nan feasibility earlier tenders were invited. The study would thief find whether nan tract could beryllium developed for eco-tourism, business retreats aliases family resorts.

Voices From nan Local: Frustration and Missed Opportunities

“We’re hopeful but besides frustrated,” said Didarul Absar Didear, nan head of nan Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh and CEO of Bangladesh Eco Tours. “The tract has immense values of potentials but you tin spot that location is not an integrated readying Although nan guidance is not standardized successful nan tourism strategy of our country,” he said. Based connected an acquisition of 3 decades, he emphasised that bureaucratic inconsistency and policies contradicting policies person ever stood successful nan measurement of nan country’s inbound tourism.

“Despite nan beingness of an enviable earthy and taste capital, we observe that they are very infrequently transformed into sustainable and competitory tourism initiatives. The Karnaphuli work area whitethorn conscionable go different achromatic elephant,” added Moni.

Cox’s Bazar Highway Link a Potential Game Changer

As portion of an effort to beforehand nan usage of nan passageway and nan number of visitors visiting it, nan authorities plans to footwear disconnected activity connected further description of nan road, linking nan work area pinch Cox’s Bazar Highway. It will alteration postulation from Dhaka and different towns to debar Chattogram metropolis completely, reducing recreation clip considerably to nan coastal areas.

The building of nan adjacent Chinese Economic Zone and a caller township astatine Anwara that nan Chattogram Development Authority is overseeing, too, is apt to thrust much group done nan passageway to nan area.

Local Tourism for Revival of Economy and Opportunities

Well developed, nan work area could service arsenic a magnet for day-trippers, honeymooners, business travellers and overseas visitors alike. With nan sea-facing view, state-of-the-art accommodation and abstraction capable for events, it is expected to not only service arsenic a tourism gateway for Chattogram but besides for this immense loop of confederate region including Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban and Teknaf.

Additionally, nan section economical gains could beryllium huge. Food, transport, and section circuit experiences could beryllium a roar for SMEs. Skilled Artisans and business entrepreneurs from Anwara and its adjoining area would easy find nan marketplace spot and waste their equipment and taste products. Hotels and carrier services would grow their networks. The spot could besides beryllium a training halfway for hospitality guidance and sustainable tourism.

Tourism Needs More Than Infrastructure freopen The planned conditions will use from nan caller attraction of high-ranking officials to nan recycling accommodation operated by nan backstage assemblage successful nan area.

Realistically, you cannot trust connected conscionable your infrastructure to win arsenic a destination. Accessibility, programmes, trading and visitant services are conscionable arsenic important. International visitors are looking for experiences — sunset walks, stream cruises, seafood tasting, taste festivals. Locals are hopeless for play getaways, recreational areas and safe beaches. The Karnaphuli tract has to supply both.

Experts urge turning it into a tourism colony aliases mixed pinch ecolodges, fund and mid-level accommodations, nationalist formation access, sports and taste zones, stream entree and greenish areas. Marketing to section and world travelers would beryllium key, peculiarly successful nan years aft a pandemic recreation rebound.

Reflection: Unlocking nan Sleeping Giant

As dusk settles connected nan serene pavilions of lush KaAnaphuli Tunnel Service Area, you tin almost ideate them teeming pinch life—families giggling adjacent nan amphitheatre, visitors sipping coconut h2o by nan pool, couples snapping sunset selfies astatine Parki Beach.

But for that to happen, Bangladesh needs to move — boldly, collectively and strategically. “It seems earthy now, but work area represents nary nonaccomplishment arsenic overmuch arsenic a tabula rasa. With nan correct vision, it could easy go Chattogram’s adjacent awesome tourism tie and a starring exemplar of sustainable, integrated location tourism.