Heritage
Content
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Heritage
Friday, April 4, 2014
7
Heritage coast
Enhancing the totality of the potentially enormous tourist attraction of Bangladesh
Photos: SYed Zakir Hossain
A
Tim Steel n
bout a third of the coast of England, with its cliffs, beaches, marshes, swamps and estuarine waters is preserved as “Heritage Coast,” and is valued as one of the gems of England’s flourishing £9bn tourism industry, which employs more than two million people. And it is not merely the natural beauty and environment that attracts both internal and inbound tourists. The towns and villages abound on the coast, just as in Bangladesh, with a primary tradition of fishing and
The few hundred metres or so that most tourists know in Cox’s Bazar represents a mere fraction of the whole of a coast upon which the sun both rises and sets every day, as it has for millions of years
maritime activities, are rich in cultural heritage, and an inheritance of architecture. Castles, forts, merchant mansions, even palaces and civic buildings offer a tradition of architectural achievement that reaches back over millennia. Bangladesh may not be as rich in historic fortifications, although not a few Mughal period fortifications against pirates represent an interesting appeal to the reasonably savvy visitor, but the ancient architectural treasures, disappearing with ever-increasing rapidity from coastal towns and communities from Teknaf in the south east, to the shores of the Sunda-
rban in the south west, still represent a potential to attract heritage tourists from across the world. Indeed, the initiative of Guide Tours, with their somewhat basic vessels, and Tiger Tours with their rather more sophisticated “floating hotel,” have the potential to widen the appeal of coastal attractions of the country, both natural and manmade, to a much wider international audience. Teknaf may well “open the bidding,” with its caves, the tragic “Madam Butterfly” well, access to ancient Buddhist temples, manmade developments that enhance the appeal of wildlife from corals and dolphins to elephants, monkeys, and an enormous diversity of ornithological attractions. Why, there is even a Pirate lair, and an indefinable, “King of England’s Hole” to appeal to the curious. And, from there to the Indian borderlands, rich in temples, mosques and mansions, as well as the odd fortification and the red brick heritage of Raj, these coastal lands may well have, over the ages, overwhelmed much of the architectural heritage, but there is no shortage to attract and offer opportunities for exploration. Not, of course, to forget the upwards of 140 types of river craft with an identifiable heritage from China, Europe, and Arabia, amongst, no doubt, home grown types. Bangladesh seems reticent about its rich heritage, and it is difficult to understand the source of the reticence. Remembering that these lands are those of one of the earliest centres of international trade in the world, it is, perhaps, unsurprising that, despite the difficulties of coping with annual flooding, and regular cyclonic surges, there remains many such manmade heritage to enhance the visitor experience. And then, of course, there is an enormous diversity of apparent genetic, human heritage. I suppose my favourite are those, what local people
call, “Portuguese Eyes,” the blue and green eyes that abound amongst the inhabitants of the coastal areas of Cox’s Bazar District, especially. Somehow, to this observer at least, the unexpected beauty of such eyes considerably enhances the physical attraction of men and women, girls and boys, with their native skins of different tans, clearly revealing the fascinating human cultural history of these coastal lands. The coastal lands of Bangladesh’s “Heritage Coast” are also rich in the traces of a wide diversity of people who have settled in them over centuries, and even millennia. Quite apart from the truly indigenous, if there are, indeed, as in other nations bordering the Bay of Bengal such as Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, remnants of the original, “Out of Africa” migrants from 80 or 100,000 years ago, there are the migrants both from the Tibetan/ Himalayan region, and perhaps even further into Central Asia, and from neighbouring nations. The coastal regions from Chittagong southward only became incorporated into the lands that are now Bangladesh following the 18th century conquest of Arakan by Burma, following with the Burmese kingdom eventually abandoned the lands north of the Naf river, and these “no man’s lands” were ceded by the Mughal Governor of Bengal to the East India Company as the first territory that the Company wholly controlled anywhere in the sub continent. Ramu, in that area, appears on a Greek map of the second century, and there is no doubting the great age of Chittagong. Ancient cities on the distributaries of the great rivers, such as that at Wari Bateshwar in Narshingdhi, Sonargaon and Vikrampur, are clear ancient vestiges of the heritage of these coastal lands, as are such as Barisal, with a history that is probably far more ancient than any we could
even begin to speculate on, and a few remaining mansions to prove it. And, of course, the normally well-informed Forbes magazine describes Bagerhat as one of the ten most famous lost cities in the world. Well re-emerging as a great historic city, Bagerhat certainly is, with, probably, much yet to disclose, but, in fact, this heritage coast that is now the coast of Bangladesh certainly has, yet, much more to reveal of its history and cultural traditions that we know, for sure, reach back at least three millennia, but almost certainly far, far, further. Not least because we can be reasonably sure that it lay on the migration route, out of Africa, of early man. In fact, few nations outside Europe are likely to be able to boast such diversity of heritage and cultural tradition. However, the countries around Bangladesh, in South Asia, have a far higher level of achievement of marketing such heritage, and garnered to themselves annual billions of dollars to enrich their national exchequers, as well as the bank accounts of countless entrepreneurs, and created, around the coasts, millions of skilled and semi-skilled jobs. If this piece appears a little dismissive of the natural beauty that is the foundation of the Heritage Coast, it is, simply the result of an attempt to enhance the totality of this potentially enormous tourist attraction. From the towering cliffs of the south east mentioned by Roman writing in the 3rd century, fronted by the almost endless silver sands of the wonderful beach that, although broken after a 120 km run from the Naf estuary, which continues, almost endlessly, around the entire 700, or so, kilometre coastline of Bangladesh,
to the glowering of the “completely secluded from the world in a wilderness of wood and water” Sundarban, so vividly described by the late 18th century traveller, Robert Lindsey, the entire coastline is a natural paradise. That Lindsey went on to describe his “two hundred mile,” journey through the coastal mangrove forest of Sundarban as being, “through thick forests, inhabited only by tigers, and wild animals peculiar to a tropical climate; the human population ... scanty, the country being overflowed every spring tide by salt water ... a dreary waste of some extent, but beautiful in the extreme, the lofty trees growing down to the water’s edge,” tells even today’s prospective visitor that it is not only the human heritage that is ancient, and much unchanged over centuries. Beaches, mud flats, mangroves, islands and islets, forests and fields, all negotiable by land and water, offer the prospect of endless natural pleasures as the backdrop to the extraordinary wonder of it all. The few hundred metres or so that most tourists know in Cox’s Bazar represents a mere fraction of the whole of a coast upon which the sun both rises and sets every day, as it has for millions of years. What wouldn’t the English Tourist Board, and Natural England, do to work with such a considerable Heritage Coast? And what wouldn’t they achieve in terms of both conservation of natural and human heritage, as well as putting it to work, successfully, for the people and environment of Bangladesh, creating jobs, and generating foreign exchange income? l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.
Heritage
Friday, April 4, 2014
7
Heritage coast
Enhancing the totality of the potentially enormous tourist attraction of Bangladesh
Photos: SYed Zakir Hossain
A
Tim Steel n
bout a third of the coast of England, with its cliffs, beaches, marshes, swamps and estuarine waters is preserved as “Heritage Coast,” and is valued as one of the gems of England’s flourishing £9bn tourism industry, which employs more than two million people. And it is not merely the natural beauty and environment that attracts both internal and inbound tourists. The towns and villages abound on the coast, just as in Bangladesh, with a primary tradition of fishing and
The few hundred metres or so that most tourists know in Cox’s Bazar represents a mere fraction of the whole of a coast upon which the sun both rises and sets every day, as it has for millions of years
maritime activities, are rich in cultural heritage, and an inheritance of architecture. Castles, forts, merchant mansions, even palaces and civic buildings offer a tradition of architectural achievement that reaches back over millennia. Bangladesh may not be as rich in historic fortifications, although not a few Mughal period fortifications against pirates represent an interesting appeal to the reasonably savvy visitor, but the ancient architectural treasures, disappearing with ever-increasing rapidity from coastal towns and communities from Teknaf in the south east, to the shores of the Sunda-
rban in the south west, still represent a potential to attract heritage tourists from across the world. Indeed, the initiative of Guide Tours, with their somewhat basic vessels, and Tiger Tours with their rather more sophisticated “floating hotel,” have the potential to widen the appeal of coastal attractions of the country, both natural and manmade, to a much wider international audience. Teknaf may well “open the bidding,” with its caves, the tragic “Madam Butterfly” well, access to ancient Buddhist temples, manmade developments that enhance the appeal of wildlife from corals and dolphins to elephants, monkeys, and an enormous diversity of ornithological attractions. Why, there is even a Pirate lair, and an indefinable, “King of England’s Hole” to appeal to the curious. And, from there to the Indian borderlands, rich in temples, mosques and mansions, as well as the odd fortification and the red brick heritage of Raj, these coastal lands may well have, over the ages, overwhelmed much of the architectural heritage, but there is no shortage to attract and offer opportunities for exploration. Not, of course, to forget the upwards of 140 types of river craft with an identifiable heritage from China, Europe, and Arabia, amongst, no doubt, home grown types. Bangladesh seems reticent about its rich heritage, and it is difficult to understand the source of the reticence. Remembering that these lands are those of one of the earliest centres of international trade in the world, it is, perhaps, unsurprising that, despite the difficulties of coping with annual flooding, and regular cyclonic surges, there remains many such manmade heritage to enhance the visitor experience. And then, of course, there is an enormous diversity of apparent genetic, human heritage. I suppose my favourite are those, what local people
call, “Portuguese Eyes,” the blue and green eyes that abound amongst the inhabitants of the coastal areas of Cox’s Bazar District, especially. Somehow, to this observer at least, the unexpected beauty of such eyes considerably enhances the physical attraction of men and women, girls and boys, with their native skins of different tans, clearly revealing the fascinating human cultural history of these coastal lands. The coastal lands of Bangladesh’s “Heritage Coast” are also rich in the traces of a wide diversity of people who have settled in them over centuries, and even millennia. Quite apart from the truly indigenous, if there are, indeed, as in other nations bordering the Bay of Bengal such as Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, remnants of the original, “Out of Africa” migrants from 80 or 100,000 years ago, there are the migrants both from the Tibetan/ Himalayan region, and perhaps even further into Central Asia, and from neighbouring nations. The coastal regions from Chittagong southward only became incorporated into the lands that are now Bangladesh following the 18th century conquest of Arakan by Burma, following with the Burmese kingdom eventually abandoned the lands north of the Naf river, and these “no man’s lands” were ceded by the Mughal Governor of Bengal to the East India Company as the first territory that the Company wholly controlled anywhere in the sub continent. Ramu, in that area, appears on a Greek map of the second century, and there is no doubting the great age of Chittagong. Ancient cities on the distributaries of the great rivers, such as that at Wari Bateshwar in Narshingdhi, Sonargaon and Vikrampur, are clear ancient vestiges of the heritage of these coastal lands, as are such as Barisal, with a history that is probably far more ancient than any we could
even begin to speculate on, and a few remaining mansions to prove it. And, of course, the normally well-informed Forbes magazine describes Bagerhat as one of the ten most famous lost cities in the world. Well re-emerging as a great historic city, Bagerhat certainly is, with, probably, much yet to disclose, but, in fact, this heritage coast that is now the coast of Bangladesh certainly has, yet, much more to reveal of its history and cultural traditions that we know, for sure, reach back at least three millennia, but almost certainly far, far, further. Not least because we can be reasonably sure that it lay on the migration route, out of Africa, of early man. In fact, few nations outside Europe are likely to be able to boast such diversity of heritage and cultural tradition. However, the countries around Bangladesh, in South Asia, have a far higher level of achievement of marketing such heritage, and garnered to themselves annual billions of dollars to enrich their national exchequers, as well as the bank accounts of countless entrepreneurs, and created, around the coasts, millions of skilled and semi-skilled jobs. If this piece appears a little dismissive of the natural beauty that is the foundation of the Heritage Coast, it is, simply the result of an attempt to enhance the totality of this potentially enormous tourist attraction. From the towering cliffs of the south east mentioned by Roman writing in the 3rd century, fronted by the almost endless silver sands of the wonderful beach that, although broken after a 120 km run from the Naf estuary, which continues, almost endlessly, around the entire 700, or so, kilometre coastline of Bangladesh,
to the glowering of the “completely secluded from the world in a wilderness of wood and water” Sundarban, so vividly described by the late 18th century traveller, Robert Lindsey, the entire coastline is a natural paradise. That Lindsey went on to describe his “two hundred mile,” journey through the coastal mangrove forest of Sundarban as being, “through thick forests, inhabited only by tigers, and wild animals peculiar to a tropical climate; the human population ... scanty, the country being overflowed every spring tide by salt water ... a dreary waste of some extent, but beautiful in the extreme, the lofty trees growing down to the water’s edge,” tells even today’s prospective visitor that it is not only the human heritage that is ancient, and much unchanged over centuries. Beaches, mud flats, mangroves, islands and islets, forests and fields, all negotiable by land and water, offer the prospect of endless natural pleasures as the backdrop to the extraordinary wonder of it all. The few hundred metres or so that most tourists know in Cox’s Bazar represents a mere fraction of the whole of a coast upon which the sun both rises and sets every day, as it has for millions of years. What wouldn’t the English Tourist Board, and Natural England, do to work with such a considerable Heritage Coast? And what wouldn’t they achieve in terms of both conservation of natural and human heritage, as well as putting it to work, successfully, for the people and environment of Bangladesh, creating jobs, and generating foreign exchange income? l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.
