Tourists are losing their lives in fires while visiting Cox’s Bazar, and passengers travelling outside the city are being held at gunpoint and robbed. Unauthorised hotels and resorts, inadequate fire safety, highway robberies, street muggings and public killings have raised serious questions about security in the country’s leading tourist destination.
Less than two days after a fire at Tuptup Resort in Ukhiya killed 10 people on Saturday, October 17, armed robbers looted passengers in more than 50 vehicles on the Eidgaon–Eidgar–Baishari road on Monday, October 19. Earlier, on August 27, two young men died following a clash at the bar of Renaissance Hotel in Cox’s Bazar town over drug use and an argument. On September 1, a construction worker was shot near the gate of Cox’s Bazar City College and died several days later while undergoing treatment.
The highway robberies took place in two separate incidents on Monday morning and around noon. At least 50 vehicles were targeted, with more than 100 passengers reportedly losing cash, mobile phones and other valuables.
Officer-in-charge ATM Sifatul Majdar of the Eidgaon Police Station said police had detained two individuals in connection with the robberies and were questioning them. Police operations were continuing, he added.
Victims said a group of 10 to 12 masked and armed men blocked vehicles, held passengers at gunpoint and took them to nearby forested areas, where they were beaten and robbed. Several victims alleged that there was no police patrol at the scene during the hours-long robberies.
The officer-in-charge said local criminals had placed obstacles on the road before looting vehicles and taking refuge in the forest. Several police teams conducted operations to arrest those involved, and they strengthened patrols in the area. He, however, could not confirm the total number of vehicles robbed.
Amjad Ullah, a businessman from Eidgar, said he was travelling from Eidgar to Eidgaon Bazar in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw to buy goods for his shop at around noon on Monday. When he reached Himchhari Dhala, eight to 10 masked gunmen took Tk60,000 and an Android mobile phone worth Tk25,000 from him.
Hamidur Rahman said that around 120 to 150 passengers travelling in nearly 50 auto-rickshaws and motorcycles had been held hostage and robbed for one to two hours. He also alleged that no police patrol was on the road during the incidents.
Abdul Hakim, an accountant at the Eidgar branch of a non-governmental organisation, said he was travelling with two others from Eidgaon Bazar to Eidgar Bazar in an auto-rickshaw when armed robbers held them at gunpoint and took them into the forest. They were beaten and robbed of Tk150,000 and a bank cheque book, he said.
Expressing frustration over repeated robberies on the road, Hakim said abductions for ransom were also frequent, but effective measures to protect passengers remained inadequate.
Mohammad Tarek, a resident of Eidgar, was also among those targeted. He said he was travelling from Eidgaon to Eidgar in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw with five passengers at around 6:30 am on Monday. When the vehicle reached Himchhari Dhala, robbers intercepted it and took his mobile phone. He jumped from the moving auto-rickshaw to escape.
Several people at the scene said the robberies took place in two rounds, around 8:00 am and noon, over a combined period of roughly two to two and a half hours.
The incidents have heightened concerns about the safety of tourists visiting Cox’s Bazar. Observers fear that continued security failures could damage the destination’s reputation as a tourist destination. They say ensuring tourists’ safety and the security of their belongings must receive as much attention as expanding accommodation and recreational facilities.
Every year, large numbers of domestic and foreign tourists visit Cox’s Bazar. However, concerns persist about security at accommodations and along travel routes. The Tuptup Resort fire has raised questions about unauthorised structures and fire-safety arrangements, while highway robberies have exposed concerns about police patrols and passenger protection on remote, forested roads. Street muggings and killings in the town have added to broader concerns about law and order.
Several tourists visiting Cox’s Bazar said they expected safety at every stage of their trips, from staying at hotels and resorts to travelling on the roads. They said recent incidents had created fear among visitors and called on authorities to act effectively.
Shanto Islam, a tourist from Malibagh in Dhaka, said his family expected a safe environment during their visit.
“Fire safety must be ensured at hotels and resorts, while surveillance should be increased to prevent muggings and other crimes in tourist areas. Regular police patrols are also necessary on important roads so that tourists can travel without fear,” he said.
Abu Morshed Chowdhury, president of Cox’s Bazar Citizens’ Society, said tourist safety was essential to developing the local tourism industry. A series of fires, robberies, muggings and killings was creating anxiety among tourists, he said, calling for action against offenders and stronger security at tourist spots and along key travel routes.
He stated that all relevant departments must coordinate their initiatives to ensure tourist safety.
Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police ANM Sajedur Rahman said police were working regularly to address crimes and incidents, including fires and other accidents. He said operations continued to identify and arrest suspects who went into hiding after committing crimes, adding that most offenders could be brought to justice through such efforts.
He said police activities to ensure the safety of tourists and the general public would continue.
By Tarekur Rahman
Cox’s Bazar Life Photo
