Published : 05 Oct 2026, 11:02 AM
Updated : 05 Oct 2026, 11:01 AM
Md Shakawath Hossain, CEO of Unique Hotel & Resorts PLC, which owns The Westin Dhaka, Sheraton Dhaka and HANSA – A Premium Residence, has received the Best Sustainable Tourism Initiative of the Year Award at the inaugural Bangladesh Tourism Award 2026.
He received the award for his copyrighted intellectual property, “Shakawath’s Six Control Points for Food Cost Optimization”.
The award ceremony was organised by the Bangladesh Tourism Board under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, on Sept 27 as part of World Tourism Day 2026.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat presented the award to Shakawath.
The Bangladesh Tourism Award 2026 recognised individuals, organisations and initiatives across 16 categories covering tourism, hospitality, innovation and sustainability.
Among those attending the event were MP Abul Kalam Azad Siddique, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism; Fahmida Akhter, secretary of the ministry; Bangladesh Tourism Board CEO Barrister Mutasim Billah Faruqui; and Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman.
Unique Hotel said in a press release that the Six Control Points framework was designed to help reduce food waste, lower costs and promote more efficient use of resources in the hospitality industry.
“This award marks a significant milestone for the Six Control Points initiative and reflects its contribution to sustainable hospitality,” Shakawath said.
“We are working to take the framework nationwide across Bangladesh’s hospitality sector and explore opportunities for its future adoption by international hotel and restaurant chains.”
Alongside his role at Unique Hotel & Resorts, Shakawath serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Dhaka’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, where he is pursuing a PhD.
He has previously received several honours in the tourism and hospitality sector, including the Tourism Face of South Asia award at the South Asian Travel Awards 2024 and the Best Hospitality Icon award at the American Curry Awards 2025.
He is also a Capstone Fellow of the National Defence College.
