Dhaka : Bangladesh won an award at a South Asian Travel Awards 2022 in the category of the "Emerging Destination Award-Visitors Choice" in the Maldives recently.

HM Hakim Ali, President of Bangladesh International Hotel Association (BIHA), handed over the award to Md Mahbub Ali, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, at a local hotel in the capital, said a press release.

"This is a moment to be proud of for our country because it's an international recognition for Bangladesh as a tourist destination," said Hakim Ali.

Foreigners think that Bangladesh is a garments business-based country but after this award, their perception will be changed and they will see that Bangladesh can also be a tourist destination, he said.

"The present government is working on various ways on the basis of priority for the development of the tourism industry in Bangladesh. We are benefiting from that," said Mahbub Ali.

Md Noor Ali, Managing Director of the Unique Hotels and Resorts Ltd (Westin Dhaka and Sheraton Dhaka), Tarek Shams, Managing Director of Lakeshore Hotels, and Khaled Ur Rahman, Managing Director of Golden Tulip, were also present on the occasion.

Sakhawat Hossain, Chief Executive Officer, Unique Hotels and Resorts Ltd (Westin Dhaka and Sheraton Dhaka), Mohiuddin Khokon, Director of Hotel The Cox Today, Asif Ahmed, Finance Director of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka, Abu Hanif Bari, Company Secretary of Sena Hotels Development Ltd (Radisson Blu Dhaka and Chittagong), AKM Badrul Alam, Director of Le Meridien Dhaka, and Shamsul Alam Panth, Director of the Grand Palace Hotel and Resorts, were also present at the event.