DHAKA, Sept 07, 2026 (BSS)- Tourism stakeholders from more than 20 countries are expected to participate in the three-day Bangladesh Travel and Tourism Fair (BTTF) 2026, scheduled to begin in the capital on October 29. The three-day international fair will bring together tour operators, airlines, hotels, tourism boards, travel agencies and other service providers to the fair to be held at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre. The Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), the country’s apex association of tour operators, will organise the fair to promote tourism, generate business opportunities and strengthen regional and international cooperation. Details of the event were announced at a press conference held at Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport today, with TOAB President Mohammed Hanif in the chair. Representatives from Nepal, India, Singapore, the Maldives and the Philippines have already confirmed their participation. Tourism stakeholders from Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Thailand, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Azerbaijan are also expected to join the event. Hanif said that the participation of international tourism stakeholders would provide a significant platform for promoting destinations, establishing business networks and expanding tourism partnerships between Bangladesh and global markets. More than 220 exhibitors from airlines, hotels and tour operators, are expected to showcase their tourism products and services through over 200 booths and stalls across four themed exhibition halls, he said.  The event is also projected to draw more than 250 qualified buyers, 2,500 trade visitors and over 60,000 general visitors. US-Bangla Airlines will serve as the title sponsor of BTTF 2026. The fair is being supported by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, National Skills Development Authority, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Bangladesh Tourism Board, Tourist Police and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Over its previous 13 editions, Hanif said that BTTF has emerged as one of South Asia’s prominent tourism marketplaces, connecting buyers and sellers while facilitating business opportunities in the regional and international travel industry. Through exhibitions, destination promotion, business networking and stakeholder engagement, this year’s fair is expected to enhance Bangladesh’s presence in the global tourism landscape and contribute to the growth of its tourism sector, he added.     

RAJSHAHI, Sept 6, 2026 (BSS) - Four people have been sentenced to four months' simple imprisonment each in a mobile court following an anti-drug drive in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi. The upazila administration conducted the drive in the Dighalkandi and Baneshwar areas on Sunday following complaints about drug dealing and consumption. The detainees were identified as Nasir Ali, son of Sikandar Ali of Baneshwar; Mehedi Hasan, son of Nokir Uddin of Khutipara; Hafizur Rahman Roni, son of Abdul Mannan of Dighalkandi; and Rafikul Islam, son of Md Hamid of Khutipara. They were produced before a mobile court led by Puthia Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Shibu Das. After hearing the cases, the court sentenced each of them to four months' simple imprisonment and fined them. The upazila administration said its anti-drug campaign would continue to protect young people from drug abuse and maintain social peace and order.