Trainers and managers in the field of nature tourism in several Asian countries, has recently completed a 10-day workshop at the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) in this free port of Subic Be one of the main promoters of the so-called “tourism of tomorrow”. training course for trainers and managers of eco-tourism held in Asian Productivity Organization Tokyo based (APO), in collaboration with ISST, development of the Academy of Finland (DAP), the Department of Tourism (DOT), and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Fifteen participants working alternately as educators, promoters, managers and heads of tourist boards in their respective countries graduated from the training. They came from Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines.

The training ran from June 14 – 24 at the three campuses of ISST, all inside the Subic Bay Freeport. Former Philippine tourism secretary and now ISST head Mina Gabor said that the course, which focused on marketing and promotion of sustainable tourism, consisted of lectures, case studies, workshops, visits to tourism promotion organizations and local communities, and on-site practical exercises. “Well-managed eco-tourism can create more local employment, support local economies and host nature tourists without the negative effects of mass tourism on cultural heritages and the environment,” Gabor explained.

However, she said that, “It should be undertaken through shared endeavors and shared responsibility, shared information, shared values, shared burdens and shared benefits, so that we will be able to achieve a higher quality of life.” SBMA deputy administrator for corporate communications Knette Fernando said that the SBMA is aiming to develop responsible eco-management in this free port “because (the environment) is the centerpiece of what Subic Bay is all about.”

“Our well-preserved natural environment is the result of responsible eco-management and very strict zoning guidelines,” Fernando pointed out. “We have a biodiversity monitoring and conservation program, and a coastal management plan, among others. This is to let you know how deep we are into sustainable tourism,” she added. For his part, DAP president Antonio Kalaw told the graduates that sustainable tourism could help push local economic development, as it provides an alternative approach in diversifying the economic base of local communities, given the right infrastructures and a supportive environment.

“Hopefully we can learn from each other and establish bonds and collaboration,” he added. Gabor also reminded the participants that the 10-day course could serve as the foundation for their respective tourism marketing and promotion program.

“The best destinations in the country that we are all related to ecotourism. It ‘been said that tourism is eco-tourism of tomorrow, and that Asia is the destination for the next decade. This is what we are preparing now,” he added. International School of Sustainable Tourism has been set in this free port last year to help improve tourism in Subic and the rest of Asia. The school offers courses such as design Lodge ecology and eco-design, touching the high quality of teachers and resources, advocates of tourist facilities and related industries in the region.

Bangladesh is prone to retaining Islam as state religion in the midst of increasing pressure on religious minorities and groups of civil society to restore the secular character of the 1972-Constitution.

However, the Awami League-led coalition, which plans to make major changes to the Constitution should provide equal status with other religions. “You know the ‘(parliamentary), the Special Committee has proposed to declare the provision of equal status with other religions and equal rights of the followers of all religions, Islam the state religion,” Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said on Monday

“Parliament will ultimately make the final decision on the proposed amendment,” he added, without giving details. According to media reports, the Cabinet yesterday agreed to the proposal of the Special Committee to maintain Islam as State religion “because of the sensitivity of the issue.”

As the tiger continues to face fundamental threats to their survival, but it is another country to join the global battle to save the big cat. An estimated 300 to 500 royal Bengal tigers roam the mangrove forest extended 6,000 km square in the Sunderbans region of Bangladesh.

There are no studies, but environmentalists fear that the Royal Bengal Tigers’ numbers are declining, because they are the targets of poachers and the struggle to find food for their habitat shrinking. Now the authorities are hoping that the 300-member police force was increased by dense, tropical swamps, and the Sunderbans delta is a vast Bay of Bengal will be able to prevent the smuggling of wildlife.

Equipped with modern weapons and high speed patrol boats procured with the help of a $36 million World Bank loan, Bangladesh’s new Wildlife Crime Control Unit will penetrate deep into the jungles to track threats from poachers. Those threats are growing. In February, one man was arrested with three tiger skins and other parts – the largest haul in three decades.

Bangladesh’s chief conservationist, Tapan Kumar Dey, says lack of training and equipment had hampered efforts to prevent poaching, but he hopes this will now change. He says besides policing the forests, wildlife tracking units will be established throughout the country.

“We will involve all law enforcement agencies, police, customs, border security force and other agencies in illegal trade of wildlife. We are going to post some officers in seaport, in airport and also some in the point through which illegal wildlife is trafficking throughout the region,” he said.

Conservationists say depleting food reserves also pose a huge challenge to the Royal Bengal tiger.

The head of the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh, Anwarul Islam, says deer and other prey which tigers depend on are being increasingly hunted down by villagers on the periphery of the Sunderbans. This forces tigers to emerge out of the forest in search for food, and it is estimated that three are killed on average every year when they stray into villages.

Islam says an initiative has been launched to tranquilize tigers that enter villages and put them back into forests – a practice already followed in neighboring India. He says a 24-hour hotline has been established to alert wildlife officials and volunteers about tigers that come out of forests.

“In 29 villages around the Sunderbans we now have 200 village tiger response teams, and they are volunteers,” said Islam. “Once stray tigers come into the villages, their main job is to manage the crowd, that is the main problem. Once people know there is a tiger, thousands of people flock together, they come out with sticks and what not….We need to develop confidence among local people that forest department and their partners have capacity to manage stray tigers.”

But this is not always an easy task. In February, conservationists celebrated when, for the first time, a tiger that strayed out of the forest was tranquilized and put back into the wild. But the same animal emerged out of the forest again, and was killed by villagers.

Wildlife officials are calling for stiffer penalties and longer jail terms for killing tigers. They hope a tough, new law will be drafted this year and help curb poaching of an animal that is worth millions of dollars when it is killed.

The Sunderbans forest straddles India and Bangladesh, and is among the habitats of tigers the most densely populated in the world, with about one tiger per 20 square kilometers. Environmentalists say Bangladesh can make a decisive contribution to the fate of the tiger, whose numbers worldwide have declined to about 3200.

The Ministry of Tourism Oman has awarded Green Award 2011 in recognition of its role and its contribution to environmental awareness and sustainable tourism development in the Sultanate. Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdulmalik Al Khalili, Minister of Tourism, said winning this award recognizes the department’s efforts to develop policies, mechanisms and standards for sustainable tourism development in the Sultanate in collaboration with leading international organizations to develop the tourism industry as one of the key development sectors in the Sultanate of a method that preserves the tradition of Oman, heritage, culture, environmental protection and the achievement of the objectives and ambitions of local communities.

Al Khalili has welcomed a private sector initiative in the incubation of this cluster of grants to promote environmental action and to consolidate the concept of conservation and cultural heritage and promote sustainable development in the Sultanate. He said the department has worked hard to achieve the sustainable development of tourism with its economic, social and environment in collaboration with relevant government departments through the implementation of the plan of the eighth five years.

The award was announced during the ceremony for the environment, as part of activities marking World Environment Day. It is worth mentioning that the jury chose the Ministry of Tourism for this award from over 120 governments and private sector institutions, such as its role in the growth of tourism and awareness of environmental friendly methods of advertising campaigns, tourism and develop policies for the development of sustainable tourism and prepare guides and standards, in addition to carry out Environmental, social studies and design to improve the adoption of this decision

Peacock Committee for the Protection of Ganjam district has urged the government to declare Pakidi hilly area, which houses a large number of peacocks, as an ecotourism destination. “If the series Hill was declared a site eco-tourism, it will attract visitors from across the country and abroad, contributing to the development of backward area,” said Samir Pradhan, president of the commission.

Pradhan presented a memorandum Prime Minister Naveen Patnaik, who also owns a portfolio of forest. The committee received the Biju Patnaik award for nature conservation, the highest honor the state to protect the environment, in 2006, his efforts to protect and preserve the national bird habitats.

When the monsoon clouds loom over Pakidi, droves of peacocks descend on the villages of Sobhachandrapur, Amuabadi, Kerikerijhola, Bharatapalli, Cheramaria, Sameiguda. Flocks of the national bird were also sighted in areas like Karnoli, Khadabahaga, Pakidi and Kirtipur, Pradhan said. He attributed the love and affection showered by the villagers on the birds as the main reason for their rising numbers in the area and for the spread of their habitat.

“While the chances of sighting of peacocks are slim in most places in the country, one is sure to spot the national bird here,” he said, adding there is almost no poaching in the area.

The committee has estimated a Rs 40 lakh project to develop the area as an eco-tourism destination. The project includes two cottages, a dormitory, an interpretation center, a watch tower, an approach road to the tower and water harvesting structures.

“The approach road to the hill range is in a bad shape. No tourist can reach the area even on a motorcycle,” the committee president said. The roads urgently need repair to boost tourism here, he added.

Forest officials also support the proposal of nature tourism. Hill area is worthy of eco-tourism spot with Bhetanai Balipadar near-Aska, where a large number of dollars black roam freely, “said senior forestry official. Balipadar-Bhetanai area is about 10 km from the series Pakidi Hill.

Turtle World is celebrated around the world every year on May 23 to increase respect and knowledge of the world `s ancient creatures. It is believed that these “soft” the animals have been around for about 200 million years.

In Hindu mythology, it is believed that Lord Vishnu reincarnated Kachhapa (turtle) has the earth on his back. In Varanasi, the creatures of nature has been assigned the task of cleaning the Ganges, India’s national river. To this end, a seven-mile stretch of the Ganga at Rajghat Ramnagar were conducted under the turtle sanctuary Ganga Action Plan (GAP). A turtle rehabilitation center was also established in Sarnath for hatching and rearing of the child.

Reports of the Division of Wildlife Kashi, was far more than 34,000 turtles are bred and released into the Ganges. “This year, we published 1154 Turtles in the Ganges, 25 April 1028 and currently hatchlings are raised at the hatchery of Sarnath, Jai Prakash, KD staff, told TOI on Monday.” These turtles will be released into the river from May to June of next year. In addition, 2000 also hatched eggs in the breeding center, “he said. He said Ganga 33,356 turtles released until 2010. In 1993, when the first phase of the GAP was completed, was 28 920 turtles `dropped ‘into the Ganges in Varanasi. With the completion of the GAP-I was the turtle breeding project also arrested in 1993. Later, the forest department re-launched in 2005.

The state of Bangladesh is going through the illegal arms problem of ULFA which is group called as United Liberation Front of Assam.  The majority of the ULFA militant leaders have been deported to India but the matter of fact is that they have left their arms in Bangladesh.  Their arms are actually in a large number. ULFA gathered a large number of illegal arms in Bangladesh.

About 10 Lorries of illegal arms were caught by Bangladesh police in Chittagong port of Bangladesh.  That illegal arms case is an ongoing trial in the court of Bangladesh. Intelligence branches of Bangladesh are investigating it.  They have found evidence already that, Paresh Barua, the chief of army of ULFA was present in the Chittangong port to unload the arms. A group of leaders of the then Islamic militant government of Bangladesh also helped to bring and unload the arms.  Bangladesh has already arrested a group of Islamic militant leaders on this case.

The unloading of ten lorries of illegal arms in Chittangong port has proven that, ULFA brought large number of arms in Bangladesh.  On the other hand, they have deported and been caught without arms.  Therefore, it can be said that, they had another safe place in Bangladesh where they hide their arms.

Some intelligence sources said that, in Bangladesh ULFA works with Islamic militants together.  Now many sources are saying that, some militant groups of Bangladesh are using the arms of ULFA.  Bangladesh police have already recovered a lot of arms and ammunitions at Mymensing district in Bangladesh.  This district’s border is nearby Assam.  Therefore, police suspected that, these arms were left by ULFA.  The home ministry of Bangladesh is going to search and recover the arms left by ULFA.  Some of the police officers say that, it is not an easy job because more than fifty outlaw groups are in Bangladesh and most of them are Islamic militant.  ULFA worked with them and then most of the outlaw groups were nursed by an intelligence organization (now State Department of America says that it is a militant organization) of a particular country.

Current government of Bangladesh has blocked that interfere of that intelligence group in Bangladesh already.  Consequently the outlaw groups have already lost their power.  More to the point that already the trials of the criminals from the war are ongoing now and most of the big shot of those criminals are now in jail.  These criminals from the war are the main leader and the brain of the Islamic militant groups of Bangladesh.  They are supposedly the main agent of that particular country’s intelligence organization. ULFA has got that, they have no room in Bangladesh.  But, Bangladesh has to face the consequence of ULFA and the illegal arms of ULFA are one of them.  Islamic Militants are using their illegal arms.

Bangladesh is all set to frame a national gold policy to smooth the progress and expansion of jewelry business in Bangladesh. Last month the jewelers of Bangladesh had demanded the formation of a national gold policy to make conform for the Bangladesh’s jewelry market, and allow them to buy bullion from the international market.

BJA – The Bangladesh Jewelers Association had written a letter to M Faruk Khan, the Commerce Minister, seeking his urgent intervention in this connection. They claimed that the minister had assured them of fulfilling his earlier pledge of formulating the policy within three months.

After receiving the letter from the BJA, the ministry of commerce formed an inter-ministerial committee in April to evaluate the demand, sources in the ministry said. In the last meeting, the committee members decided to formulate the gold import policy after scrutinizing the relevant policies of the neighboring countries, officials said.

“The committee also decided to make a jewelry industry policy, under the supervision of the industries ministry, immediately after formulation of the import policy,” an official said. The import policy will allow Bangladesh’s jewelry manufacturers to purchase gold through proper channels, which will benefit both the government and the gold businessmen.

Considering the present critical situation of the goldsmiths, the government is very much positive about formulation of the policy. It would rehabilitate them and also change the present large-scale migrating trend of the local goldsmiths to neighboring India,” a commerce ministry said.

“It is the failure of the successive government that they could not formulate a national gold policy in forty years since independence. Most of the countries, including India, Pakistan and China, have formulated their own gold policies long ago. We are very happy indeed to know that a national gold policy is going to be formulated immediately,” BJA president Dilip Roy said.

He also said the policy would help the jewelry industry flourish as a major export-oriented sector. “Soon after the implementation of the policy, the government should concentrate on solving the problems and exploring the prospects of exporting gold and diamond jewelry. The sector has a huge potential across the world,” said Enamul Haq Khan, former general secretary of BJA.

According to the reports there is clearly a bright prospect of Bangladesh’s gold and diamond jewelry and stuffs in the global market. Dilip Roy concluded that especially in the Middle East, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and Malaysia there is a good market for the jewelry from Bangladesh. At present, laws do not permit traders to import gold from the international market, or to export gold ornaments.

Well it seems like the ITD deal in Dhaka is going to get new opportunities in the region. Thus, Thai contractors will see greater opportunities to build basic infrastructure and public utilities in Bangladesh after Italian-Thai Development Plc has won this contract and ITD deal for an elevated expressway in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

The Italian-Thai Development Plc of Bangladesh has won the bid to build the four-lane road in three-and-a-half years. This is the largest public-private partnership in Bangladesh which is expected to create a lot of openings, approximately 5,000 jobs for Thai workers during the construction period.

The 40-billion-baht, 26-kilometre expressway will link Hazrat Shahjalal airport in northern Dhaka and Jatrabari district in the southeast of the city, helping to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance communications efficiency.

The Thai government was directly involved in negotiations with Bangladesh as part of its policy of supporting Thai construction businesses abroad.

The Bangladeshi government will own 30% of the project with financial support from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

Kiat Sittheeamorn, president of the Thailand Trade Representative, and other Thai officials recently attended the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the project.

He said Bangladesh, which still lacks basic infrastructure, is planning several megaprojects including ports, a superhighway network, a new international airport, mass-transit systems and power generation.

The “Bangladesh: Vision 2021″ project of the Bangladesh government aims to make the country a regional economic and commercial hub by that year. Mr Kiat said to the officials that Thailand’s public and private sectors were ready to help the country meet that goal.

Well there are updates from Dhaka, Bangladesh that Bangladesh will fire the chiefs of the country’s securities regulator after an independent probe blamed them for the recent stock market crash, as per the finance minister’s statement.

The benchmark Dhaka Stock Exchange General (DGEN) index touched a high of 8918.51 points on December 5 last year before plunging to around 5,200 points in two months, gutting hundreds of thousands of small investors.

In the month of January the government ordered a probe into the crash after weeks of violent protests by investors and amid media reports alleging some traders manipulated the market with the help of regulators.

The government published the 284-page probe report Sunday, with finance minister A.M.A Muhith vowing legal action against the manipulators.

He said the government would replace the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman and his two deputies this week.

“The government thinks that the SEC should be recast to restore confidence in the capital market,” the finance minister told reporters on Saturday night.

The minister said the government would conduct further probe into the allegations that some businessmen linked to the ruling Awami League party were involved in a stocks scam.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange of Bangladesh, which now trades at about 6,000 points, was one of the world’s best performing markets between 2007 and 2010, taking Bangladesh up; but experts warned of a bubble in which many small investors were caught up.