Assessing the potentials of eco-museum concept to enhance socio-economic scenario along protecting cultural heritage and tourism: A context based study

The synergy between terrain tea gardens and diverse ethnic culture has given Shamsher Nagar a unique identity. Prominent cultural landscape, high tourism value with significant historic military and ethnic community’s settlement have added extra dimension to this small town of Moulvibazar district in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh. However, due to lack of proper provision and policy to diverse ethnic culture, unconsciousness about cultural and heritage value, dominant behavioral pattern of the mainstream communities toward minority ethnic communities the harmony between nature and human is decaying. In response to these issues, the concept of developing ecomuseum could strike the topic as ecomuseum incorporates sustainable development of community, environment and tourism through proper governance. The objective of this study is to assess the core criteria of ecomuseum and measure the potential of establishing ecomuseum in Shamsher Nagar, Moulvibazar district in Bangladesh. Findings show explicit potential of implementing ecomuseum principles to conserve the distinct identity of this cultural landscape as well as to ensure socio-economic and cultural sustainability not only within the study area but also throughout the similar tea cultural landscape in greater Sylhet division. Involvement of both local government and private administrative as well as business agencies at particular phases of ecomuseum development would be crucial to attain the expected outcome.