The government's plan to declare Chattogram metropolitan area and Cox's Bazar district as drug-prone zones may have a negative impact on tourism, tour operators said.

They fear that if the areas are declared as such and the news is published in media, tourists will be hesitant to travel to those areas.

It will also send a negative message to other countries and discourage foreign tourists from visiting Bangladesh's prime tourist destinations, they added.

According to the tour operators, every year around 10 million people travel across the country and 70 percent of the tourists visit various destinations in Chattogram division, particularly Cox's Bazar and the three hill districts.

The information about the government's move to declare Chattogram metropolitan area and Cox's Bazar district as drug-prone zones was obtained from a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry on February 26.

In the meeting, a decision was taken to make an outline to declare the areas as drug-prone in consultation with related agencies.

If the areas are declared drug-prone zones, tourism will obviously be adversely affected, Shiblul Azam Koreshi, president of Tours Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), told The Daily Star yesterday.

People will not be comfortable visiting the areas with family and friends, Koreshi said.

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Contacted, Md Rafeuzaman, the immediate past president of TOAB, said If conditions in those areas were so alarming, agencies concerned could take necessary measures and conduct drives silently without declaring the areas drug-prone zones.

"It is at the initial stage. We are still pondering on it [the decision]. Our law mentions drug-prone zone. The authorities will decide how this can be implemented involving all agencies," said Md Azizul islam, additional director general of Department of Narcotics Control (DNC).

Asked about concern of the tour operators, he said the government will not take any decision which will have negative consequences.