Poor management is undermining the natural beauty of Cox’s Bazar beach, the country’s leading tourist destination. Scattered rubbish, dirty drainage water, and foul smells along the beach are making tourists uncomfortable.
On Friday morning, a visit to Kolatali, Sugandha, and Laboni points, along with other parts of the beach, found plastic bottles, crisp packets, coconut shells, banana peels, leftover food, and other waste scattered across the sand. The rubbish is spoiling the beach’s appearance and making it unpleasant for tourists to walk around and spend their leisure time.
At Kolatali Point, dirty water from a drain was seen flowing across the road towards the beach. Although sandbags had been placed in some areas to block the water, no permanent solution was evident. The dirty water and foul smell are affecting tourists and people working at nearby businesses.
Local traders said stagnant drainage water and its overflow onto the road had been longstanding problems. They alleged that despite informing the relevant authorities, no effective solution had been implemented.
Local resident Shah Alam said some hotels and businesses dumped their waste on the beach, adding that many establishments lacked proper waste management systems.
Several tourists also expressed dissatisfaction with the rubbish, foul odours and dirty water at different points along the beach.
Saimon Kibria, a tourist from Dharampur in Cumilla, said he was disappointed to find such conditions while visiting the beach with his family and children. Seeing rubbish in such a beautiful place made it difficult to enjoy walking, swimming and spending time there, he said.
The district administration has placed waste bins at various points along the beach for tourists to use. However, many people still leave water bottles, food packets, coconut shells, and other rubbish on the sand.
Salah Uddin, a small trader on the beach, said small business owners tried to dispose of their shop waste at designated locations, but maintaining cleanliness was difficult when many tourists littered indiscriminately.
Karim Ullah Kalim, joint general secretary of the central committee of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), said the beach’s natural beauty was the main attraction of Cox’s Bazar’s tourism industry. He said weak waste management, allegations of service irregularities, and safety shortcomings at tourism facilities were undermining that appeal, urging the relevant authorities to address the issues seriously.
Mahmudur Rahman Sayem, executive magistrate of the Cox’s Bazar district administration’s tourism cell, said some businesses were discharging water onto roads while carrying out construction work. He insisted on ending such practices.
Additional District Magistrate Tasnim Jahan said the administration was working to ensure tourists’ convenience. She added that the authorities would inspect areas where water had accumulated and take necessary measures.
By Tarekur Rahman
Photo: Tarekur Rahman
