State Minister for Civil Aviation Mahbub Ali today urged Nepalese travelers to make their holidays at the world's longest sea beach at Cox's Bazar as Bangladesh's coastline is the closest beach for the tourists of that landlocked country.

The state minister made the call when visiting Nepalese Tourism Secretary Kedar Bahadur Adhikari called on him at his Secretariat office.

Senior Secretary of Civil Aviation Ministry M Mohibul Haque and Nepal Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Banshidhar Mishra were also present at the meeting, said a press release.

During the meeting, they discussed various bilateral issues related to further cooperation between the two neighbouring countries in improving the tourism sector.

The junior minister also said Cox's Bazar sea beach and the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, can be exiting tourism destinations for the people of the landlocked countries like Nepal and Bhutan as well as north-eastern provinces of India.

He said the government is working to upgrade the Cox's Bazar and Saidpur airports as international standard to make those as regional aviation hub.

Dr Banshidhar Mishra observed the cultural similarity and tourism will work as catalyst in further deepening the bilateral relations between the two South Asian nations.