Bandarban, July 11 -- The picturesque district of Bandarban, where clouds, hills, rivers and waterfalls meet, has long been a popular destination for tourists from across Bangladesh.

But a growing security concern stemming from the emergence of a new armed group, the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), has led to repeated travel bans over recent years, severely impacting the local tourism industry.

Bandarban, one of the three hill districts in the country, is bordered by Cox's Bazar to the southwest, Chattogram to the northwest, Rangamati to the north and Myanmar to the east.

A Timeline of Restrictions

Just as the district was recovering from the economic blows of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, KNF's increasing activity prompted the lo...