10 th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM)

Transcription

1 10 th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM) Dhaka, Bangladesh February 2018 Logistics and Administrative Arrangements Note

2 1. Introduction The Tenth Session of Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM) will be held on February 2018 at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the People s Republic of Bangladesh will organize the conference in coordination with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). This Administrative Arrangement document provides initial logistical and administrative information on the arrangements in order to help delegates prepare for participation in the 10 th session of Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers. Updates will be issued as required. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the People s Republic of Bangladesh wishes all the delegates most productive deliberations and a memorable visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2. Structure of the Conference: The conference will be 3-days long from February The very first day is for senior officials meeting in which the agendas of the Conference will be discussed. The second day is for the Ministers meeting in which agenda wise discussion will be held and the Dhaka Declaration will be adopted. The third day is for the technical tour in which the participants will be able to visit some touristic places especially Islamic culture and heritage sites of Bangladesh. 3. Participation Concerned Ministries, Relevant Government agencies/departments of the OIC Member states, Observer states, Affiliated OIC institutes and organizations and Academia of the OIC countries may participate in the Conference. 4. VENUE The 10 th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM) will be held at the Pan Pacific Sonargoen Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh on February 2018.

3 Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel 107 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh Phone: , , Fax: REGISTRATION AND BADGES Participants are requested to fill in the attached prescribed Registration Form and send by to (I) aktarkst@yahoo.com (II) btbnto@gmail.com at the latest 20 January Badges and information kits will be distributed to all registered participants on arrival at the Registration Desk at the official hotel, Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Dhaka from 10:00 to 18:00 on February All the delegates are requested to wear the Identification (ID) badges during all the sessions and social events of the Conference. Deadline for sending the Registration Form: 20 January OFFICIAL WEBSITE

4 07. TRAVELLING TO BANGLADESH Air Line Connections Dhaka is well connected with other major cities of the world by Air. Major Airlines of the world are operating their flight to and from Dhaka. Please visit the following links: Visa Requirements Prior visa is required to arrive in Bangladesh. The Government of the People s Republic of Bangladesh is offering Visa on Arrival (VOA) for the citizen of some countries, Please see the list of the countries who get Visa on Arrival at The visa application must be submitted selecting the Bangladesh Embassy/High Commission in the country where the applicant is located. In the absence of Embassy/ High Commission in the country of residence or the countries which are not included in the VOA list, special arrangement for Visa on Arrival (VOA) will be offered at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Dhaka to only the registered participants. In that case all the participants who need Visa on Arrival (VOA) are requested to send all the information with Passport photo copy, flight confirmation and hotel booking confirmation to (1) aktarkst@yahoo.com (2) btbnto@gmail.com by 20 January All

5 participants and delegates must be of a valid passport with 06 months validity (may need), or proper travel document and secure an invitation letter from the organizer. International Media personnel/journalists need prior Visa to visit Bangladesh. 09. Customs Regulations For more information regarding customs regulations and restricted items please visit the following website: Arrival and Departures For the smooth arrival and departure of the delegates, all are kindly requested to fill in the Registration Form and sent to (1) aktarkst@yahoo.com (2) btbnto@gmail.com by mail by 20 January 2018 indicating the Date of Arrival and departure, flight detail, hotel information. There will be a help desk at the arrival and departure lounge at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). Delegates will be received by the designated protocol team at the airport. 11. Transfer Arrangement The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism of Bangladesh will warmly welcome all registered delegates at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Dhaka. VIP car will be provided for participating Ministers/ Head of Delegation and Secretary-General of OIC from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka as well as all the time during the Conference. Also Shuttle service will be provided for other delegates of each Member States from the Airport to the Hotel. There will be information desks at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka and the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel for any kind of logistic support. In order to organize this service smoothly, delegates are requested to fill in the Registration Form indicating their arrival, departure and accommodation details and send it to (1) aktarkst@yahoo.com (2) btbnto@gmail.com latest by 20 January 2018.

6 12. ACCOMODATION The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism will provide complementary Accommodation and food for each attending Ministers/Head of Delegations + 01 Assistant for 4 nights (Check-in 04 January and Check-out 08 January 2018) at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka, the only official hotel for the conference. Other than that the non-hosted delegates (self-payee delegates) may book their accommodation at Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel on their own arrangement. Any additional charges such as extra nights of stay, room upgrades, incidentals (including room mini bar use, overseas phone calls, etc) beyond the hospitality noted above shall be covered by the respective delegates. The hotel offers special discount on room rates, in limited numbers and on a first-come, first served basis. Room reservations for hosted and non-hosted delegates must be made by the respective delegates. All the delegates are requested to book their accommodation directly to the following contact person of the official hotel keeping CC to aktarkst@yahoo.com and btbnto@gmail.com not later than 20 January Contact person of the Official Hotel for Accommodation booking: Mr. Fariaz Morshed Chowdhury Assistant Director of Sales Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka 107 Kazi Nazrul Islam Ave, Dhaka- 1215, Bangladesh Phone: Fax: Mobile: fmchowdhury@panpacific.com Meeting Facilities and services: Meeting Room All the sessions of Senior Officials Meeting on 05 February and Ministers Meeting on 06 February and Opening Ceremony on 06 February will be held in the Ball Room of Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel.

7 General Coordination Room (General Secretariat) This office room furnished with modern office equipments will be used as General Secretariat of OIC. Delegates will be provided with all kind of information and assistance from the officials of OIC. Documentation Room All the documents of the conference will be available in this room Translators and Revisers room, Typing Pool and Supervisors room, printing room, collation room: All the Delegates will be provided relevant assistance from the office room. Interpretation All the sessions of the Meetings will be conducted in the official language of OIC-English, Arabic and French. Simultaneous Interpretation will be provided in these languages. Delegations whose Heads wish to speak in a language other than the ones stated above must bring their officials simultaneous interpreters. The names and contact details of these interpreters must be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People s Republic of Bangladesh (kamr1526@gmail.com) at the earliest convenience. Technical facilities for interpretation will be provided by the Government of Bangladesh upon request. Liaison Officers Liaison officers (LO) will be appointed for the Ministers/Head of Delegation of each attending countries and international organizations. The designated Liaison Officers will be introduced to the Ministers/Head of Delegation/International organizations/institutions at the airport. During the Conference, the designated LO will be the contact person for the delegation on logistical and administrative matters and will be available in person to assist delegations throughout their visit. 14. SAFETY AND SECURITY The Government of Bangladesh will ensure the safety and security of all participants and delegates. Through the period of the Conference, special security measures will be taken at the Airport for the arrival and departure of VIP guests. The necessary security measures will be taken at all times at the Conference venue, the designated hotel and other function venues. Access to

8 the Conference area will be restricted strictly to those who wear accreditation badges. 15. PRACTICAL INFORMATION about BANGLADESH v Official Name: The People s Republic of Bangladesh v Capital: Dhaka v Main Cities: Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barishal, Rangpur, Mymensing, Cox sbazar v Population: 16,000,000 (One Hundred Sixty) million v Form of Government: Parliamentary form of Democracy v Religion: Islam v Language: Bangla, English is widely spoken and understood v Head of the Government: H E Sheikh Hasina, MP v Minister for Tourism: H E Mr. Rashed Khan Menon, MP v Local currency and Exchange rate: The local currency of Bangladesh is Bangladeshi TAKA (BDT). Foreign banknotes and credit card can be exchanged for Bangladeshi Taka at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka as well as at Banks and other authorized money changers. As of December 2017, 1 USD is equivalent to approximately Bangladeshi TAKA v Climate: The average temperature of Dhaka is 25ºC. In the month of Febvruary, the temperature is 10ºC-25ºc. The month of February is the Middle of Winter in Bangladesh. v Dress code: Participants are advised to bring light woolen wear. Formal Attire (business suit) is required at official sessions. Long-sleeved shirts and Ties are recommended for men and formal attire for women to attend the evening social events. v Official Language: Bangla is the official language; however English is widely spoken and understood. The official language of the Conference will be English, French and Arabic. v Time Zone: The official time in Bangladesh is 6 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT + 6) v Electricity: Electricity in Bangladesh is AC (Standard flat pin plug) v Health: No vaccinations are required except the participants from yellow fever and HIV infected countries. A healthcare staff will be available around the clock at the Conference Venue. Ambulance service and local hospitals will be fully prepared to address emergency needs. v Insurance: Participants may wish to take out adequate travel insurance and health insurance before leaving their respective countries. The host has no insurance coverage for the participants and will not be responsible for any accident that may occur during the conference.

9 v Business Hours: Government offices are open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Sunday to Thursday. Banks and Financial institutions are open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Banks and Government offices are closed on the weekends and public holidays. (Note: Friday and Saturday are the weekends in Bangladesh). Shops are generally open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. 16. CONTACT DETAIS OF THE FOCAL POINT OF THE CONFERENCE Mr. Aktar Ahamed Deputy Manager PR, UNWTO, PATA and OIC Desk Bangladesh Tourism Board Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Bangladesh Tel: Fax: Cell: , aktarkst@yahoo.com btbnto@gmail.com 17. Technical Tour (07 February 2018) A full day Complimentary Technical Tour will be arranged for the foreign participants including the Hon. Ministers/Head of Delegations to show the tourist attractions and Heritage sites of Dhaka on 07 February Few of the following Tourist s attractions may be visited during the tour: Sonargaon, the old capital of Bengal: Sonargaon means golden city, 27 km, east of Dhaka city, was the Capital of Bengal from 13 th to 17 th century during the Chandra & Deva dynasty. Interesting spots to explore;- the Painam village, Goaldi Mosque, Baro Sardar Bari, and the Craft Museum ( Wednesday & Thursday closed). Sadarghat River port- Situated on the bank of the river Buriganga. For a visitor there awaits an amazing scene with different types of boats; uncovered & covered boats, cargo boats, speed boats, tugs and motor launches going in every direction. Regular services of Motor launches

10 including passengers Paddle Steamer and cargo to southern towns leave from Sadarghat. Star Mosque- It is a beautifully decorated mosque built in the early 18th century and was renovated later with glittering star pattern mosaic with Japanese and English china clay tiles during It is distinctive for its low slung style and the absence of minaret. A close look will reveal that the tiles illustrated with pictures of Mt. Fuji. Pink Palace (Thursday close) - The magnificent Pink Palace is situated on the bank of the river Buriganga.Nawab Abdul Gani inherited this palace from his ancestor and named it Ahsan Manzil after his son Nawab Ahsanullah. It has 31 rooms with a huge dome on top and 23 galleries displaying portraits, furniture, household articles and utensils used by the Nawabs. Lalbagh Fort (Sunday closed) - Price Mohammed Azam, 3rd son of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb built this Fort Aurangabad in The fort was the scene of bloody battle during the first war of independence in 1857 when 250 SIPAHIS stationed here backed by people revolted against British forces. Outstanding among the monuments of the Lalbagh are the tomb of Pari bibi, Lalbagh Mosque, Audience Hall, and Hammam Khana (bathing place) of Nawan Shaista Khan now housing a Museum. National Museum: Dhaka Museum was established in 1913, renamed and shifted to Shahbag in It has forty galleries under four departments; (1) Natural history (2) History & classical arts (3) Ethnography and decorative art and (4) Contemporary and world civilization. The museum contains a large number of interesting collection including sculptures and paintings of Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim period. It has rich

11 collection of old coins of 2 nd &3 rd century B.C., metal images, books on art, ivory and silver filigree works, textiles including world famous muslin clothes, embroidered quilt( Nakshikantha), arms and ammunitions of the bygone era warriors, varieties of handicrafts & models of village & urban life, contemporary paintings & sculptures, and valuable articles of the liberation war of Language Martyr s Monument: It stands as a symbol of Bengali nationalism. This monument was built to commemorate the martyr s of 21 st February, the historic Language Movement in 1952, is now observed as International Mother Language Day across the world. Hundreds and thousands of people with floral wreaths and bouquets gather on bare feet on 21 st February every year to pay homage in solemn atmosphere. Celebration begins at zero hour of midnight. National Parliament building: This masterpiece was planned and designed by celebrated American architect Louis I Kahn. Construction started in 1965 during the Pakistan regime considering Dhaka as the Second capital and could not be completed due to liberation movement. Later the remaining construction was completed by the Government of Bangladesh. Parliament session and other related works are held in this premise. This distinctive architecture is one of the little renowned architecture in the world. Aarong Craft shop: Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) is the biggest Non Government Organization (NGO) in the world. Aarong was set by BRAC with varieties of products manufactured by rural artisans from all over Bangladesh. It is regarded as the best collection Craft shop in Bangladesh. Bangabandhu Museum: Bangabandhu, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of the nation called for independence of Bangladesh. The whole nation fought the liberation war in 1971 and got the independence after 9-months long battle with Pakistan army. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed with his family member by an Army rebellion in this house at Road No. 32 Dhanmondi Residential area, which was converted to a Museum, which depicts the activities during his life time.

12 Hussaini Dalan: It was originally built during the later half of the Mughal rule (17th century) in Dhaka. It was built as the Imambara or house of the Imam (religious leader) of the Shia community. Hussaini Dalan serves as the main Hussainiya of Dhaka, or venue for majlisor gatherings held during the month of Muharram, tenth day religious gathering commemorates the martyrdom of Hussain, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. بیت (Arabic: Baitul Mukarram Mosque:, Also spelled as Baytul Mukarrom ;Bengali: المكر م ; The Holy House) is the national mosque of Bangladesh. Located at the center of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, the mosque was completed in The mosque has a capacity of 30,000, giving it the respectable position of being the 10th biggest mosque in the world. However the mosque is constantly getting overcrowded. This especially occurs during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which has resulted in the Bangladeshi government having to add extensions to the mosque, thus increasing the capacity to at least 40,