The world’s longest sea beach, Cox’s Bazar, draws millions of local and foreign tourists each year with its vastness and natural beauty.
But beyond the waves and the golden sunsets, another scene has taken over — a noisy crowd of hawkers and a growing mountain of plastic waste.
From Laboni to Kolatoli Point, every tourist sitting on a beach chair is quickly surrounded by vendors—some offering coffee, chips, or seashell ornaments, others selling perfumes, trinkets, or local snacks like Moheshkhali’s sweet betel nuts.
The constant shouting of hawkers, according to many tourists, disrupts the tranquility they seek by the sea.
“I came to enjoy the beach, not to be disturbed every few minutes,” said Sumon Rahman, a tourist from Dhaka. “Before you can take a deep breath, someone comes asking, ‘Brother, will you buy this?'” I’ll give it cheaper!’ It’s frustrating.”
Another tourist, Salma Abdullah from Mirsharai, Chattogram, said, “At least four or five hawkers come every minute, some even begging. It’s difficult to enjoy the sea when you’re constantly interrupted.”
Beyond the annoyance, experts warn that hawker-driven sales are fueling an environmental crisis. Plastic bottles, chip packets, and empty polythene bags are left behind on the sand — much of which eventually ends up in the sea.
Environmentalists say these plastics don’t disappear; over time, they break down into microplastics that enter marine life and, ultimately, the human body—posing risks such as cancer, hormonal disorders, and liver diseases.
“If this continues, Cox’s Bazar’s natural environment will be destroyed,” warned Karim Ullah Kalim, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Cox’s Bazar chapter.
“Tourists are losing their experience, and we’re leaving behind an ecological disaster for the next generation,” he added.
All makeshift shops and hawkers must be relocated and rehabilitated outside the main beach area.”
According to local sources, more than 500 mobile hawkers roam the beach daily between Laboni and Kolatoli. The Beach Management Committee and local administration are struggling to control them.
During a recent visit to Sugandha Point, this reporter observed tourist police and beach staff repeatedly removing hawkers — only for them to return minutes later.
Attempts to contact the Additional District Magistrate, the Additional DIG of Tourist Police, and the Executive Magistrate of the Tourism Cell went unanswered. Questions sent via WhatsApp also received no reply. Their comments will be added when available.
Environmental experts emphasize that simply evicting hawkers isn’t enough. Sustainable rehabilitation, alternative livelihoods, strict monitoring at beach entry points, tourist awareness campaigns, and a ban on single-use plastics are urgently needed.
Environmental activists warn that negligence, lack of awareness, and unchecked hawker activity are damaging one of Bangladesh’s most significant natural assets. Unless urgent action is taken, Cox’s Bazar may soon be known only for its length—not its beauty.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Hussain Shetu
