Dhaka Half Marathon Beautiful Bangladesh. Supported by

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1 15 Dhaka Half Marathon 2016 Beautiful Bangladesh Supported by

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3 Letter from the Chairman 2015 has been an exciting year for Sports International (SI), as it has marked 03 years since the inception of the organisation, and has seen some significant progress and investment. We re proud to say that Dhaka Half Marathon (DHM) also known as The Big Bangla Run support has increased by 25% in 2015 and we plan to further increase the participant numbers again during 2016 to help reach our goal of promoting beautiful Bangladesh, as the destination for tourist. We champion the value that the mass-participant run brings for the economy, business as well as for the individual represents a fantastic opportunity through The Big Bangla Run to show case Dhaka and the rest Bangladesh, to the wide world. It is an opportunity to reaffirm Dhaka s status as a world city, to showcase Dhaka s, and the Bangladesh s, diversity and sporting prowess on the world stage. Bangladesh, a land of exhilarating mix with fascinating history, vibrant cultures, panoramic beauties, historical ruins, flora and fauna, hills and forests, sandy sea beaches and wildlife, is waiting to welcome you. Come and enjoy the Dhaka Half Marathon 2016 and explore the Beautiful little country, before its get s busy Abedur Rahman Shimu Chairman Sports International

4 Come before the tourists visit" Bangladesh, east of India on the Bay of Bengal, is South Asian country of lush greenery and many waterways. Its Padma (Ganges), Meghna and Jamuna rivers create fertile alluvial plains, and travel by boat is common. On the southern coast, the Sundarbans, an enormous mangrove forest shared with India, are home to the Royal Bengal tiger. You will easily be impressed with so much variety of attractiveness within such a small geographic boundary; The world s longest sandy beach - Coxsbazar, the world s single largest mangrove forest - Sundarbans, Oceanic - Kuakata, Coral island - Saint martins, the green roof of the country - Bandarban, a land of colorful Indigenous groups and Lake City - Rangamati, the scenic beauty of the hilly regions, historic and archaeolo- - gical sites etc. There are many kinds of lifestyle of the people can be seen in Bangladesh - urban, rural and Tribal. Amidst the concrete jungle, the urban life follows a different direction than the rural life. The rural life has a much more strong relation with the nature. And, far from the maddening crowd, there are many tribal lifestyles can be noticed which are unique and vibrant in their own characteristics. Bangladesh is waiting to welcome you on the occasion of Beautiful Bangladesh 2016 tourism year.

5 The coast: South-East Cox s Bazar Beach. Bangladesh is rarely considered a tourist destination. What people know of it generally comes from news reports: floods, cyclones, political strife, tragedies in garment factories. "It has been stigmatised, we never hear any positive news but reality is completely different " On the south east coast lies Cox's Bazar, a beach that stretches an incredible 125km down the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal. It sounds amazing, the top domestic tourist destination, with beautiful hotels and restaurants by the sea front, blaring out pop music and serving whole lobster for 6 / $8.7, and serving virgin mojitos. Once you reach the beach, you can leave the main parasol-strewn stretch behind and find yourself wandering the expansive shore, totally alone. It may not be bright-white sands and turquoise waters the colour scheme is more beige and dusky blue - but it is wild, empty, pine-fringed and seemingly neverending. Don t forget to climb into a tom-tom (as tuk-tuks are called here), it will take your breath away.

6 The Forest: South-West Bangladesh is one of the last places where fishermen still use trained otters to herd fish into nets. Bangladesh's other major draw: the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. On the map, you can clearly see the crisscrossing tributaries at the mouth of the Ganges making a fringe on the bottom of the country, and spilling across into India. Book a boat trip with the well-trained operator in the region. Visitors would typically take a 3/4 days trip, staying overnight on the boat's cabins. Drifting along the muddy waters, beside the low-rising, tangled foliage, you may spot Ganges dolphins (like marine dolphins but with longer noses). Then, in a side stream, you might run into some fishermen with a curious technique. To steer the fish into their nets, they use otters on leads. Loudly squeaking and squawking, the otters work in pairs to herd the fish. Otters and dolphins aside, the main wildlife draw is, of course, the Bengal tigers. Around 500 live in the Sundarbans, but expectations for seeing one are realistic, as you really have to go right in the darkest depths of the forest. Nonetheless, when you moor to go for a walk, seeing a clear tiger footprint in the mud is thrilling enough! You can set your base for exploring the Sundarbans at the resort, Panigram, near the town of Jessore, 43 miles north of the mangroves. Set amid luminous green paddy fields, it comprises a cluster of serene thatched bungalows besides a stream, covered in water hyacinth that is used to make biofuel. The location is very quiet and rural. Everything here is being built by hand, with mud bricks, to keep the project both traditional and low-impact.

7 Ifad the Big Bangla Run Ifad Cox s Bazar International Half Marathon

8 Novo nordisk Dhaka International Half Marathon Novo nordisk Dhaka Half Marathon

9 Community Projects: North-East Dusai Resort & Spa Ambitious eco-resorts are a clear sign of confidence in Bangladesh as a tourist destination. In Sylhet, the Shuktara Nature Retreat ( shuktararesort.com, doubles from B&B 34 / $ *) is a group of brick and glass-walled buildings designed by a local architect amid rolling hills. In the Srimangal tea-growing area further south in Sylhet, DuSai (dusairesorts.com, rooms from $120*) is a grand resort, five-star offering outside of Dhaka.

10 Getting there Flights were provided by Biman (biman-airlines.com), which flies from Heathrow to Sylhet or Dhaka from 470 / $ *(minimum) return and Emirates flights are via Dubai, these are the most traveled airlines to Bangladesh. Internal flights with United Airways (uabdl.com), US Bangla Airways, Regent Airways & Novo Airways, Cost from 30 / $ One way How to do it Lovedesh , which creates bespoke trips to Bangladesh from 1,400 / $2030* for 7 days excluding flights. Air Express, 123 Whitechapel Rd, London, UK E1 1DT, Phone , Where to stay The Panigram eco-resort (panigram.com) Jessore is offering cut-price stays (from 95 / $ * a night). The Wilderness in Sylhet has rooms from 72 / $ * , At Cox's Bazar, two-night full-board stay at Ocean Paradise hotel costs from 107 / $ *. * The prices are above only for guide line.

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12 Sports International Registered Office : House No 10 (1 st Floor), Ishakha Avenue, Sector 6, Uttara Model Town, Dhaka-1230 Tel: (+88) , info@sportsinternational.co AMARATHON.ORG Design Concept, ,