Scenic Lama to join tourist hot spots

Mirinza Parjatan Complex is nearing completion at Lama in Bandarban. PHOTO: STAR

The new tourist spot, Mirinza Parjatan Complex, is nearing completion and it may be declared open to the visitors by August. The Bandarban district administration is supervising the construction work.

The proposed tourist spot is being built on top of the Mirinza Hill, which is according to the Bandarban administration nearly 1,500 feet from the sea level.

Mirinza is a quiet place located near Lama upazila headquarters and 120 kilometres from Chittagong and 16 kilometres from the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar Road at Fanshiakhali point.

None of the administration or local people, mostly Bangalee settlers, could say the origin of 'Mirinza,' but one layman told that the word 'Mirinza' is derived from Murong dialect and the sight was once predominantly a Murong, one of the tribes in Chittagong Hill Tracts.

The tourist spot is being constructed on 500 acres of land. It will be a very beautiful place for the visitors or tourists, especially those who craves for a relief from the metropolitan monotony.

"The place will have an observation tower at the peak of the hill for a clear view of the beauty of surrounding hills and the Bay of Bengal. The tower will be equipped with binocular and other facilities to cater the need of the visitors," State Minister for Forests and Environment Jafrul Islam Chowdhury told The Daily Star.

The most attractive sight of the under-construction tourist spot will be a vessel-shaped playground. "It will be built inside the stomach of a gigantic hill keeping its outside natural look unscratched and giving it an extra-ordinary shape almost identical to a big ship," he said.

Jafrul Islam said, "At the first glance it will look like the replica of the historic Titanic Ship and that will surely be the prime specialty and attraction of this new tourist place."

A safari park and lake will add extra amusement to the visitors at Mirinza Parjatan Complex, he added.

Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, deputy commissioner (DC) of the district, said that the construction works of the tourist spot would be completed within one month. "Hopefully, it would open to the visitors by the end of August," he said.

The spot is being built with financial assistance of private sectors and donations and district administration is just supervising the construction works, Hafiz said.

The foundation stone of the spot was laid on September 17 last year.