Dhaka, Feb. 13 -- Winter is typically a time to break away from the urban routine and travel to the verdant hills of Chittagong, the sandy beaches of Cox's Bazar or the crystalline waters of Saint Martin's Island.

In fact, the winter touring sentiment is the lifeblood of Bangladesh's tourism sector.

However, the heated political climate surrounding the early January national elections put many travel plans on hold. Tourists intended to holiday after the polls; tour operators also organised packages accordingly.

But the spillover of violent armed conflict in Myanmar threw a wrench into those plans.

People are avoiding southeastern tourist destinations like Teknaf, St. Martin's, Bandarban's Naikhongchari and other areas.

Tourist flow t...