Although it is the monsoon season and the second day of Shraban on the Bengali calendar, Cox’s Bazar has remained rain-free for the past two days.
However, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has asked Cox’s Bazar and the country’s three other seaports to keep Local Warning Signal No. 3 hoisted due to a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.
Despite the warning signal, tourist arrivals at the world’s longest sea beach have increased this week compared with the previous week, driven by the weekly holiday.
A red flag remains hoisted along the beach, indicating that sea bathing is unsafe.
Even so, many tourists were seen entering the water at the Kolatoli, Laboni and Sugandha points. In view of the prevailing conditions, Sea Safe Lifeguard authorities have urged visitors to follow safety instructions.
According to the lifeguard service, designated bathing zones have been marked at the three points where lifeguards are on duty. These areas are identified with red-and-yellow flags or red flags, and tourists have been warned not to swim outside the marked zones as doing so could be dangerous.
Sea Safe Lifeguard supervisor and senior lifeguard Mohammad Osman Gani told Cox’s Bazar Life that red flags have been raised because continuous rainfall has caused beach erosion and created several holes and channels along the shoreline.
“Although lifeguards are on duty, we strongly advise visitors not to enter the sea to avoid accidents,” he said.
According to the tidal forecast for Friday (July 17), low tide is expected at 6:15 pm, while high tide began at 11:55 am.
Authorities warned that ignoring warning signals or lifeguards’ instructions and entering the sea could result in serious accidents at any time.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Courtesy
