Before the crowds, traffic and bustle take over, Cox’s Bazar has a quieter story to tell.
As dawn breaks over the coastal city, darkness gradually gives way to the first light of day. The usually busy streets remain largely deserted, with only a handful of vehicles beginning to move. Auto-rickshaws and battery-powered three-wheelers wait patiently by the roadside for their first passengers of the morning.
With each passing minute, the city slowly comes to life. The sound of engines breaks the silence of dawn, and pedestrians begin to appear on the streets. Yet the familiar rush of the day has not fully arrived.
Long before most residents wake up, the city’s sanitation workers have already started their day. Armed with brooms and an unwavering sense of duty, they clean roads, pavements and public spaces before sunrise, ensuring the city is neat and tidy by the time people step outside.
Their work is one of the defining scenes of an early morning in Cox’s Bazar. While much of the city is still asleep, they quietly prepare it for another day, often without receiving the recognition they deserve.
As the morning progresses, another group gathers at Goongachtala, where daily wage labourers wait in the hope of finding work. Some stand silently with small bags in hand, while others wait for familiar contractors or employers. A single call could send them to a construction site, a shop, a private home or wherever a day’s labour is needed.
At the same time, parks, open spaces and quiet roads attract morning fitness enthusiasts. Some walk briskly, others jog, while a few perform stretching exercises under the open sky. Before the demands of the day begin, they devote these peaceful moments to their health and well-being.
Soon, the sun rises above the eastern horizon, casting its warm light across the city. One by one, shop shutters roll open, traffic gradually increases and office-goers, carrying bags and dressed for work, head towards their destinations.
Roadside tea stalls also begin filling up. Some people start their day with a steaming cup of tea while discussing local affairs, business or the day’s plans. Others, pressed for time, finish their tea quickly before hurrying off to work.
As the morning advances, the city undergoes its daily transformation. Office workers, traders, businesspeople and labourers stream through the streets, while vehicles become more frequent and commercial activity gathers pace.
For many people, witnessing a Cox’s Bazar sunrise has become something of a luxury. Busy routines often leave little time to appreciate the city’s quieter side. Yet those who rise early encounter a very different Cox’s Bazar — calm, peaceful and unhurried.
The city that later resonates with the voices of tourists, the hum of traffic and the bustle of commerce first awakens in silence. Cool morning air, quiet streets and the absence of crowds reveal a side of Cox’s Bazar that many rarely experience.
That tranquillity, however, lasts only briefly. As the sun climbs higher, the streets fill with vehicles, shops become busy, and people hurry towards offices, markets and workplaces. The calm coastal town gradually transforms into the vibrant city familiar to residents and visitors alike.
This is how every day begins in Cox’s Bazar. The rhythmic sweep of brooms, labourers waiting for work, morning walkers, steaming cups of tea and the gentle arrival of sunlight together create a story that unfolds quietly before most people are awake.
By the time the city is fully alive, its day has already begun — quietly, steadily and with a rhythm that often goes unnoticed.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdu Rashid Manik
