Cox's Bazar draws mammoth crowds of Eid holidaymakers

OUR CORRESPONDENT

COX'S BAZAR, Apr 05: Tourists from both home and abroad in their multitudes thronged the Cox's Bazar sea beach during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday since Monday (March 31) for merrymaking following the trend as ever.

Tour loving people in their millions rush to such amusement sites during these festivals in pursuit of recreation and pleasure. Cox's Bazar beach is atop the list of such places for most the travel thirsty people.

Official sources said about 750,000 tourists visited Cox's Bazar sea beach to enjoy Eid pleasure during five days from March 31 to April 4. Tourists in their thousands started coming to Cox's Bazar from the morning of March 31. They mostly came by buses, trains, and even by planes.

Though the beach remained almost empty of visitors during the month of Ramadan, there is hardly any place here to set foot during the Eid holiday.

On Friday (April 4), an overwhelming crowd of people was seen strolling along the four-kilometre stretch of the beach from Kalatali to Laboni point. At least 150,000 tourists gathered on the beach from morning to afternoon.

During this time of intense heat, thousands of people have gone down the sea and are taking pleasure bath.

Nusrat Imroz, a student of a private university in Dhaka, said, "I came to Cox's Bazar in the morning and went to the beach. It feels good to see so many people together. However, I feel sad to see some garbage on the seashore."

A traveler named Sakibur Rahman came to Cox's Bazar with his family for the Eid vacation.

He visited the seashore and the tourist centers of Himchhari and Inani. He said that due to the pressure of work, he does not give much time to his family. Therefore, he came to Cox's Bazar to spend time with his family during the long Eid vacation.

He also expressed satisfaction with the security measures taken on the beach this time.

Businessman Gafur Uddin, who came to visit with friends from Mymensingh, said, "I am very happy to come here. However, the hotel rent seems a little high this time. It would have been better if the rent was a little lower."

Sea Safe Life Guard Director Imtiaz Ahmed said that the Eid holiday is accompanied with a weekend, which is why tourists are flocking to the sea beach in large number.

During this time, lakhs of visitors bathe in the sea every day. A total of 27 lifeguards have to struggle to handle them. Sources concerned said thousands of tourists came to the beach on the first day of Eid. At least 0.75 million tourists came to the beach on the second, third, fourth and fifth days of Eid.

It is estimated that a total of 0.75 million people have come to Cox's Bazar for five days, an average of 0.15 million every day since the first day of Eid.

On Friday (April 4) afternoon, a two-kilometre area was seen packed with tourists at Sugandha point of the beach.

In addition, there are more than a hundred beach bikes and several horses ready on the sand. Many people are riding horses to fulfill their wishes and circling the beach. The same situation is also with beach bikes.

Hotel owners in Cox's Bazar said that about 750,000 tourists have visited in the last five days. Almost 100 per cent of the rooms in more than 500 hotels, resorts and guest houses had been booked before time. The announcement of a maximum 70 per cent discount on hotel room rent during the month of Ramadan to attract tourists was withdrawn from March 25.

Mukim Khan, the leader of a hotel association in Cox's Bazar, said that millions of tourists have come to Cox's Bazar for the Eid holiday. More than 500 hotels and resorts in the city have been fully booked. There are no rooms available in any small or medium-sized hotel.

District police spokesperson and Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Jasim Uddin Chowdhury said that law enforcement agencies were working for the overall safety of tourists.

In addition to conducting operations in the city to prevent theft and robbery, preparations are underway to resolve traffic congestion and ensure safe travel for tourists.

Deputy Commissioner ( DC) Muhammad Salahuddin said that several mobile courts led by magistrates were conduced to monitor tourists' travelling during the Eid holiday to ensure that they are not charged extra hotel rent and food prices in restaurants.

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