Another year fades into memory. As 2025 slips away in the flow of time, the world’s longest uninterrupted sea beach—Cox’s Bazar—turns into an emotional gathering point for people bidding farewell to the year.
On the final afternoon, hundreds of thousands of visitors thronged the beach to witness the sun setting in the western sky, marking the last sunset of 2025.
From Wednesday (December 31) afternoon, the shoreline from Laboni Point to Kolatoli Point was packed with people.
Beyond the main beach, Himchari, Inani, and Patuartek beaches were also buzzing with tourists.
Centered around the final sunset, some visitors were busy capturing photographs, while others stood silently with loved ones, soaking in the play of light and shadow at the year’s end.
As the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon, anticipation for the new year began to build.
That very night, 2025 passed from the pages of the calendar into memory.
With Thursday’s sunrise, the journey of 2026 would begin.
Leaving behind a year of gains and losses, people prepared to welcome the New Year with renewed hope on the Thirty-First Night.
However, compared to previous years, the number of tourists in Cox’s Bazar was slightly lower this time.
Following the declaration of state mourning over the death of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, star-rated hotels in the city cancelled or postponed their Thirty-First Night events. As a result, the usual grand celebrations and concerts were absent.
Additional DIG Apel Mahmud, in charge of the Cox’s Bazar region of the Tourist Police, said, “Considering the safety of tourists, celebrations in open beach areas were not permitted this year as well.
Awareness campaigns are being conducted to prevent unruly behavior.” He added that multiple layers of special security had been deployed across beach areas on December 31, and no one was allowed onto the beach without security checks.
Despite heightened security, tourist enthusiasm remained strong. Abu Kashem Sikder, president of the Cox’s Bazar Hotel, Guest House Owners’ Association, said, “Not a single room is vacant in more than 500 hotels, motels, resorts, guesthouses, and cottages. Although the daily accommodation capacity is around 140,000 people, many rooms are hosting five to seven guests.”
Rashed Mahmud, a tourist from Dhaka, said, “I come to Cox’s Bazar every year to watch the final sunset. Even though celebrations are limited this time, the beauty of the sunset remains just as touching. Starting the new year in a place like this feels truly special.”
Meanwhile, Naznin Akhter, who visited with her family from Chattogram, shared her experience: “The security arrangements are reassuring. There is a crowd, but there is also discipline. We’ve come with children, so a safe environment matters most to us.”
For many, the final sunset of 2025 at Cox’s Bazar was not just a visual spectacle, but a moment of reflection, farewell, and hope—where one year quietly ended, and another waited to begin.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdu Rashid Manik
