DHAKA: Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), the national tourism organization of the country under the ministry of civil aviation and tourism, lacks necessary manpower to run its activities in full swing for the development of the country’s tourism sector.
With a wide range of dreams, tourism board took off to take the country’s tourism sector to the highest peak. But all is going in vain as it lacks management and capability.
Banglanews, the leading online news portal of the country, unearthed the information through its own investigation.
After independence, the state-run national tourism organization Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) didn’t play any role in the tourism sector. That’s why both private and government quarters raised voice for doing something in alternative way.
The government made the Tourism Act 2010 to establish BTB.
On September 13 in 2010, the government formed BTB to boost the tourism sector. Later, the government appointed 17 people as board members of BTB. Of them, 12 members were bureaucrats.
Sources said a total of 154 posts have been created in the organogram where 30 top slots will be filled with government administrators. At present, a joint secretary is working as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the tourism board.
According to the Tourism Board Act, a tourism expert or a government officer will be appointed as CEO.
The government selected CEO from among government officers, bypassing professionals, sources said. At the same time the government appointed nine officers to the board from Parjatan Corporation.
According the Tourism Act 2010, it was supposed to be operated by professionals, said an expert.
BTB started its operation from the Tourism Ministry secretariat with only 10 employees manning the board. Few days later Board was shifted in a rented house of Gulshan-1 residential area.
After passing one year, BTB has not yet finalized organogram of the organization due to CEO’s irresponsibility. Due to lack of organogram, no one gets permanent designations which get down the spirit of the employees.
Parjatan is giving salary of nine employees the board as it has no organogram. Instability exists in everything in the board; as a result board didn’t function properly.
In this volatility, last month an officer went back in the Parjatan Corporation, others are also trying to join their earlier organization (BPC).
It’s alleged that CEO has no earlier experience in tourism sector. Moreover, the board top Boss is not dynamic officer at all. He worked in tourism minister for few months.
An officer of the BTB told banglanews, wishing anonymity, “Only a tourism expert or who has earlier experiences in the tourism sector is eligible to be on the tourism board as an employee. Otherwise board wouldn’t be effective rather it would be a burden for the government as the Parjatan Corporation.”
The BTB CEO could not be reached for comment in this regard.
Tourism analyst and tourism fortnightly magazine ‘Bangladesh Monitor’ Editor Kazi Wahidul Alam told banglanews that “no one wants this type of organization”.
He added: “It appears that it would be another branch of Parjatan Corporation, which already has failed to do their job.”
BDST: 1702 HRS, JAN 21, 2012
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