In memory of the devastating cyclone that struck Kutubdia on April 29, 1991, claiming countless lives, the people of the island upazila in Cox’s Bazar observed the day with mourning rallies, prayer gatherings, and symbolic protests demanding urgent infrastructural development.
On Tuesday morning, Kutubdia residents organized a human chain in front of the Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner’s office, followed by a sit-in protest where participants wore burial shrouds — a symbolic gesture to highlight their existential crisis caused by the lack of sustainable embankments.
During the program, Shahin Abrar, a protester, performed a self-composed song calling for justice and protection of the islanders. The crowd chanted in unison, “We demand liberation through resistance — we demand a sustainable embankment!”
Speakers at the event included former chairman of Baraghop Union Parishad Shahid Uddin Choton, former municipal councilor Aktar Kamal Azad, district Jubo Dal leader Didarul Islam Rubel, Kutubdia Samity’s member secretary Ashraful Huda Siddique Jamshed, president Professor Gias Uddin, and coordinator of the Kutubdia Sustainable Embankment and Ferry Implementation Council, journalist Ehsan Al Kutubi.
Ehsan Al Kutubi said, “We do not want to abandon Kutubdia. We are its working-class, neglected, and marginalized people — salt farmers, fishermen, and day laborers. Either give us a sustainable embankment or erase Kutubdia into the sea. We’re tired of the annual drama in the name of embankment projects and corrupt allocation schemes.”
Professor Gias Uddin outlined three specific demands on behalf of the islanders: construction of a durable and permanent embankment surrounding Kutubdia, immediate launch of a ferry service between Kutubdia and Magnama, and permanent rehabilitation for residents of Ward No. 1 of the Kutubdia municipality.
April 29 is marked across Bangladesh — in Chattogram, Dhaka, and other cities — as a day of grief and resolve. For the people of Kutubdia, the message is clear: No more delays, no more broken promises — they demand protection, connection, and dignity.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report/
Photo: Abdur Rashid Manik
