Community-Based Tourism Center at Durgasagar, Barisal

Barishal Division is one of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Located in the south-central
part of the country. It is one of the oldest municipalities and river ports in the country. Barisal
municipality was established in the year 1876 during British rule in India and upgraded to City
Corporation on 25 July 2002.Barisal division is crisscrossed by numerous rivers that earned it the
nickname ধান-নদী-খাল এই তিনন ব্তিশাল (Dhan-Nodi-Khal-ei tin a Barisal).(khan,2014,p.28)It is situated
along the Kirtankhola river. Along with the river, Barisal is also famous for various natural beauty, tourist
spots, and historical sites. It is home to various mosques, temples, historical zamindar bari, and natural
beauty spots. Apart from this, the local architecture of Barisal is very unique, unfortunately, it's almost
extinct now. Several historical monuments and tourist spots of Barisal are getting lost day by day due
to a lack of preservation. As a result, people from other divisions are not getting proper information
about Barisal and are not aware of its rich culture, customs, and traditional values. Recently with the
development of connectivity by Padma Bridge, it has become easier to reach Barisal from any part of
the country. Among the tourist spot of Barisal, Durgasagore is one of the oldest and most popular spots
which has a great heritage value. It was excavated in 1780 by Rani Durgabati, mother of Raja Joy
Narayan. At present, the spot serves as a public lake park with some amenities but it is not adequate
as tourists are increasing every day and the site has the potential for a community-based tourism hub
of Barisal to support the local community and preserve culture and the natural and architectural
heritage of Barisal.