United News of Bangladesh

The second season of the ‘Beautiful Bangladesh Run 2026’ was held on Saturday at the capital’s scenic Hathirjheel area with festive enthusiasm, drawing nearly one thousand runners from across the country. The event, organised by the Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB),  began early in the morning and concluded successfully amid spirited participation from people of different professions, particularly those associated with the aviation and tourism sectors. The run started at 6:00 am from Police Plaza Point and featured two categories— a 7.5-kilometre competitive race and a 2-kilometre fun run. Civil Aviation and Tourism State Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat attended the event as the chief guest and distributed prizes among the winners. The minister said initiatives like this by ATJFB play an important role in raising health awareness while also contributing to the promotion of Bangladesh’s tourism sector. “Such programmes are truly commendable. I am personally inspired by this initiative and look forward to participating in the future,” he added. He further said the government is working to attract foreign investment for developing international-standard tourism infrastructure in Bangladesh. “We are in discussions with world-renowned companies such as Emaar Properties of the UAE, which built the Burj Khalifa. Through public-private partnerships we plan to involve them in developing tourism infrastructure in Bangladesh,” he said. Title sponsor Rhythm Group’s Deputy Managing Director Abir Hossain expressed satisfaction at the enthusiastic participation. “I am truly impressed to see people of all ages taking part in such a health-conscious initiative. This kind of event sends a positive message to society. Next year, we aim to take this event to the international level,” he said. ATJFB President Tanzim Anwar said the initiative aims to promote Bangladesh’s tourism sector through large-scale public engagement. “Such events are organised globally for different purposes. Our goal is to promote tourism in Bangladesh, and this has now become one of our flagship events. We plan to expand it beyond Dhaka, including organising it on Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive next year,” he said.

Bangladesh is set to host its first-ever tourism-promoting marathon, the Beautiful Bangladesh Run 2025, in the capital’s Hatirjheel area on Friday (April 25). The Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) will organise the ground-breaking run with Rhythm Group as title sponsor and support from the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), according to a press release. The Beautiful Bangladesh Run will begin at 6am from Police Plaza at Hatirjheel, featuring a competitive 7.5-kilometer run and a family-friendly 2-kilometer fun run. Over 700 runners from various professions, especially those involved in the aviation and tourism sectors, are expected to participate in this landmark event. The event receives support from multiple esteemed organizations, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Tourist Police Bangladesh, Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), Electrolyte Drinks Active, Dhaka Wasa, Famous Specialized Hospital, and Famous Creation. It also enjoys co-sponsorship from prominent companies such as Ethiopian Airlines, Air India, Fits Air, Share Trip, Eastern Bank, Viya Group, Bengal Air Lift, American Tourister, TPC, Titan, Samsonite, Skin Perfume, US-Bangla Airlines, NovoAir, and Air Astra. Renowned influencer Dr. Nasreen Akhtar Shimu will be attending, along with pace runners Shariar Morshed Siddique, Jannatul Ferdous Mitu, Dr. Md. Naim Hossain Khan, and KM Yasar Arafat Ami. "ATJFB’s primary goal with the Beautiful Bangladesh Run is to showcase and promote the country's aviation and tourism sectors," said ATJFB President Tanzim Anwar. "This mega event will highlight the diverse opportunities within these promising sectors." Shafiullah Suman, chief coordinator of the Beautiful Bangladesh Run, said that this year's event will extend beyond the focus of running. "We are committed to transforming the run into a vibrant festival experience,” he said. In addition to recognizing the winners, all participants will have the opportunity to win exciting prizes through a raffle draw. Besides, there will be a photo contest featuring medals for participants after the run. Previously, ATJFB has successfully organized several tourism festivals as part of its social responsibility initiative to foster the growth of the country’s tourism industry. The Beautiful Bangladesh Run is the latest in a series of efforts aimed at this goal.