KHULNA, November 4, 2025 (BSS) - A cluster of 13 forest-themed eco-resorts built along the canal banks adjacent to the Sundarbans has become a major attraction for local and foreign tourists.

Made primarily of golpata, wood and bamboo, these uniquely designed resorts are offering visitors a blend of natural tranquility and modern comfort.

Once known for travel hardships and lack of amenities, tourists visiting the world's largest mangrove forest can now enjoy comfortable lodging facilities that are enhancing the tourism experience while creating local employment opportunities.

Entering through the Dhangmari canal, visitors can easily spot the rows of eco-resorts standing opposite the forest. 

Though their exteriors are made of traditional materials like bamboo and palm leaves, the interiors resemble the luxury of a three-star hotel.

The resorts feature stylish lounges, open dining spaces for "natural meditation," and balconies overlooking the serene tidal rhythms of the Sundarbans' rivers. 

The combination of rustic charm and modern comfort has made these eco-resorts increasingly popular among tourists seeking peace away from urban chaos.

Serajul Islam, a tourist from Keraniganj, Dhaka, staying at "Sundari Resort," said he and nine of his friends chose to spend three days there for its riverside beauty and proximity to the forest. 

"We can easily visit the Sundarbans from here while enjoying comfortable accommodation," he added.

Snigdha, a college student from Uttara, who came with her parents, shared a similar experience at "Bonbibi Resort." 

"From our room, we can watch the tides and even spot wildlife. It's truly a delightful experience," she said.

Rezwanul Haque Mithu, Managing Director of Sundari Resort, said 13 forest resorts have been established on once-abandoned land near the Ghagramari Forest Camp along Dhangmari canal. 

"These eco-resorts are enriching Bangladesh's tourism sector, generating local employment and contributing to forest revenue," he added.

Shah Mohammad Abdullah, acting officer of the Ghagramari Forest Camp under the Sundarbans East Division, said the establishment of these resorts in underdeveloped forest-adjacent areas has created jobs and reduced illegal forest activities.

He added that such private initiatives, alongside government projects for tourism development, will further attract both domestic and foreign tourists to the Sundarbans region, boosting the national tourism economy.

Talking to BSS, Imran Ahmed, Conservator of Forest (CF) in Khulna, said aesthetic resorts near Sundarbans attracting tourists from home and abroad.

"We are working to develop various infrastructural instrument at all tourism spots in a view to enjoy the natural beauty of the world's largest mangrove forest," he added.

"The forest has finite carrying capacity," Imran Ahmed said, adding, "Mass tourism, uncollected waste and extractive pressures can damage the ecology. Our priority is to keep tourism controlled, with strict zoning and trained eco-guides."

The Sundarbans, Bangladesh's 6,017-square-kilometre share of the global mangrove, contains a dizzying range of biodiversity: 334 species of plants, 315 bird species, 210 fish species, six species of dolphin and a threatened population of the Royal Bengal tiger.

A recent survey documents at least 23 eco-resorts and cottages across Mongla, Banishanta (Khulna), Kailashganj and Shyamnagar (Satkhira), and local owners claim around 120 such facilities in the wider Khulna district, including Dakope's Kailashganj and Dhangmari.

Names such as Jangalbari, Iraboti, Golkanon, Bonlata and Mangrove Haven have become familiar to weekenders and out-of-town families.

According to Forest Department records, Sundarbans visitor numbers have climbed sharply in recent years, from 128,175 in fiscal 2015-16 to 216,143 in fiscal 2022-23.

In fiscal 2023-24, 211,057 tourists visited, generating roughly Tk 3.6 crore in revenue.

The Forest Department has added four new tourist zones -- Alibandha in Shoronkhola, Andharmanik in Chandpai Range, Shekhertek and Kailashganj within Khulna range -- to ease pressure on seven core sites in Kotka, Kachikhali, Dublar Char, Hiron Point, Harbaria, Kalagachhia and Karamjal.