Cox’s Bazar — the cradle of Bangladesh’s tourism industry — carries with it stories that shaped the nation’s travel culture.
Among those, the names Hotel Shaibal and Sagarika Restaurant stand as timeless symbols of the city’s golden past. More than just a hotel, Shaibal embodies the very beginnings of modern tourism in the country’s most beloved coastal town.
In the mid-1960s, when tourism was taking root in Cox’s Bazar, the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation established Sagarika Restaurant in 1965 — one of the first organized efforts to welcome visitors.
Nestled close to the beach, this humble yet elegant bamboo-and-tin structure quickly became a favorite among early travelers.
The aroma of freshly cooked local delicacies — fish, prawns, and shellfish — filled the air, drawing visitors to the sea’s edge.
Back then, only a handful of tourists ventured to Cox’s Bazar, but almost everyone who came had one name on their lips: Sagarika.
Building on that early success, the Parjatan Corporation took another historic step between 1982 and 1985 — constructing Hotel Shaibal, the first major residential tourism establishment in the region.
Spread over nearly 130 acres at the end of Motel Road, surrounded by lush greenery, Hotel Shaibal offered a serene retreat with open lawns, ponds, and scenic pathways leading toward the sea.
Its architecture was strikingly modern for the time — concrete structures with open balconies, coconut trees swaying in the sea breeze, and expansive courtyards where visitors could sit quietly, listening to the rhythm of the waves.
For many, Shaibal was more than accommodation; it was an emotion — a symbol of serenity, nostalgia, and the unbroken connection between the people of Bangladesh and their longest sea beach.
Decades later, Hotel Shaibal still stands as a living monument — not just of bricks and walls, but of memories. It holds within its quiet corridors the story of Cox’s Bazar’s evolution from a sleepy coastal town into the beating heart of Bangladesh’s tourism.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
