More than five years after Bangladesh launched an ambitious initiative to overhaul its tourism sector through a national master plan, the project remains stalled-trapped in layers of bureaucratic red tape. Despite spending Tk 28 crore and engaging a foreign consultancy, the plan meant to transform the country into a global travel destination has yet to move beyond draft documents. Promised as a roadmap for unlocking Bangladesh’s natural and cultural treasures, the plan is now caught between delayed approvals, leadership changes, and institutional inefficiencies. As global tourism accelerates post-pandemic, Bangladesh risks falling further behind unless decisive action is taken to bring the master plan out of filing cabinets and into the real world.
A Grand Vision, But No Progress: In early 2020, the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) contracted Indian consultancy IPE Global to draft the nation’s first 25-year tourism master plan. Costing Tk 28.66 crore, the plan aimed to reshape tourism into a major economic pillar, much like the apparel and remittance sectors.
The project formally began on 1 January 2020, targeting a completion date of 30 June 2020. However, real-world setbacks-including the global Covid-19 pandemic-pushed the timeline to December 2022.IPE?Global completed the draft in June 2023, with the document now awaiting final National Tourism Council (NTC) approval. Despite its completion, the master plan remains shelved in bureaucratic limbo, still confined to dusty files rather than executed on the ground.
Sleeping in the Bureaucratic Maze: Stakeholders from academia and the private sector have criticized the stagnation. Dr?Shaker?Ahmed, retired Professor at the University of Dhaka, says: “We have no roadmap… We’re hearing about the master plan for a long time, but we do not see any reflection of it. It is stuck in [bureaucratic] maze.” He notes the absence of private-sector representation in key decision-making bodies like the Tourism Board and Tourism Corporation.
Similarly, Rezaul Ekram, founding president of the Bangladesh Inbound Tour Operators Association, compares the master plan to a GPS system that has yet to be activated: “Our one hour journey is taking a long time… We don’t know the route… Years go by due to bureaucratic inefficiency.”
Mohiuddin?Helal, editor of Parjatan Bichitra, laments that the lack of a guiding plan has led to “unplanned” tourism development: “The master plan has not seen light of day-it is a place of our failure and disappointment.” He urges government promotion at tourism fairs and better international outreach through embassies.
Ambitious Targets, Stalled Implementation: The master plan identified 1,498 natural and cultural sites, organizing them into 53 clusters and prioritizing 19 for initial development. It envisions attracting 5.57 million foreign tourists annually by 2041 and generating 21.94 million jobs, needing US$1.08 billion in investment (public and private). Feasibility studies are underway for five pilot projects, and the government has pledged US$105.5 million for infrastructure like roads, electricity, and security. Private investment would fund hotels, resorts, and amenities.
Five key development projects are planned to kick off soon in Tanguar Haor, Nijhum Dwip, Sompur Mahavihara (Paharpur), Sharankhola (Sundarbans), and Mawa (Padma Bridge zone). However, no physical progress has been seen yet-a reflection of the implementation paralysis.
IPE Global’s Role: Thorough-but Flawed: IPE Global’s own website outlines its extensive work: assessing over 1,400 tourism sites, consulting more than 2,000 stakeholders, and proposing 400+ projects with US$1.028 billion in capital expenditure. The firm also helped craft strategies to enhance governance, institutional frameworks, investment policies, and marketing plans.
Nonetheless, former BTB governance board member Jamiul?Ahmed expressed reservations. After serving on the monitoring committee, he claimed IPE Global “did not do the work properly” and failed to satisfy contractual expectations. A high-powered follow-up committee identified parts of the plan as inadequate, advising IPE Global to either correct deficiencies before payment-or let local experts finish the job.
Why the Delay The Blame Game: The root causes are multifaceted:IPE Global’s subpar output: As noted by Jamiul?Ahmed, deliverables were “not done as they should have been done,” prompting internal review and calls for revisions. Pandemic disruptions: Covid-19 hampered fieldwork in early 2020, delaying completion. Frequent leadership changes: BTB has appointed three CEOs between 2019 and 2025, stalling momentum with each administrative shift.?Inter-agency controversy: Jurisdictional confusion between the Tourism Corporation, BTB, and the National Tourism Council has muddied ownership of the plan?
Weak political will: Although the master plan promises tourism as Bangladesh’s “second export sector,” it has failed to secure robust budget, manpower, or political backing.
Tourism: A Sleeping Giant: Tourism currently constitutes about 3.02% of GDP and employs over 8% of the workforce. With 529,286 international arrivals in 2022, the sector has rebounded strongly post-pandemic, yet remains far behind neighboring countries like India (6.19 million), Sri Lanka (719,000), and Nepal (614,000).Experts agree that Bangladesh’s tourism potential is hindered by poor infrastructure, complicated visa systems, safety concerns, and weak branding. Despite these challenges, stakeholders believe that with proper planning, the sector could become a key driver of economic growth and job creation.
What Needs to Change: To revive the stalled master plan, stakeholders propose the following reforms:Internal review and revision: BTB CEO Abu Taher Muhammad?Jaber announced the draft is currently under review and hopes to finalize it by July 2025, before submitting to the NTC. Contractual accountability: IPE?Global should address contractual gaps or hand over work to local experts before final payment is released.Establish empowered oversight bodies: With private-sector representation, tourism professionals, and civic stakeholders involved in project boardrooms.Accelerate feasibility to execution: Projects in Tanguar Haor and Paharpur must move beyond papers into ground-breaking phases.Simplify visa and safety protocols: Essential to competitive positioning and improving global rankings.Consistent leadership: Stabilizing BTB leadership to maintain vision and policy continuity.
International and domestic marketing blitz: Embassies must participate actively, while government invests in tourism promotion at fairs globally?
A Turning Point Approaches: BTB is finally deliberating the draft with intent to complete it by July 2025. With NTC approval expected next, the next step is developing a realistic implementation roadmap. Success depends on reducing bureaucratic drag and injecting execution-level urgency.
From Promise to Reality: Bangladesh’s tourism master plan carries immense promise-but without decisive follow-through, all the fancy reports and maps will amount to nothing. The nation risks being labeled “a country of potential,” where tourism development remains stuck in endless discussions.If Bangladesh is serious about emerging as a global tourist destination, it must shift from planning to action-starting with a streamlined approval process, contractual transparency, empowered institutions, and a determined pivot toward implementation. One thing is clear: in tourism-as in all national endeavors-vision accompanied by bureaucracy without delivery is simply wasted opportunity.
