Youths ensure a tourist-friendly Cox's Bazar during Eid festival

This year's Eid was overshadowed by grief, as a series of tragic road and railway accidents took a heavy toll on many families. Amid this sorrow, however, a group of dedicated youths in Cox's Bazar emerged as a quiet source of hope. Through their tireless efforts along the country's longest sea-beach, they helped prevent potential mishaps, ensuring that countless visitors could celebrate the Eid holidays safely.
Their compassion and vigilance - from Laboni Point to Sugondha and Kolatoli -brought a much-needed sense of reassurance and a gentle smile to many celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr festival. To date, no untoward incidents have been reported this year.
The initiative was undertaken by the Bangladesh Tourism Board in association with the district administration and the Tourist Police, along with a local NGO, which engaged around 50 young men and women to patrol the beach round-the-clock in three shifts during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.

Each group, comprising approximately eight volunteers, not only raised awareness among holidaymakers about swimming safety - especially during low tide - but also highlighted environmental concerns, including the health impacts of micro-plastics and the dangers of littering.
Wearing orange shirts branded with the slogan 'Sobar Agey Bangladesh' (Bangladesh First), the volunteers also took part in cleaning garbage while moving from one point to another, keeping an eye on crowded stretches of the beach.
"This is the first time local youths have been engaged in this kind of work, and we are all enjoying it - even though we miss our families and are unable to celebrate the Eid holiday with them," said Uggya Marma, a fourth-year BBA student at Cox's Bazar City College.
While patrolling with seven other volunteers at Laboni Point on the second day of the Eid-ul-Fitr, he said as the residents of a tourism city, they willingly participated in the initiative out of a strong sense of responsibility to protect the natural beauty of Cox's Bazar.
Other volunteers - Jyda, Fatematuzzohra, Antor Pal, and Alfazuddin Abid - said they closely monitored people's movements, particularly the children swimming in the sea during low tide. They also kept an eye on vendors offering various services, such as photography, boating, and parasailing, to ensure that the tourists could deal with those service providers safely and without hassle.
In difficult situations, the volunteers reported to the Tourist Police or the district administration, who then took over and resolved the issues. Alfazuddin noted that none of the incidents escalated, as the authorities had held prior meetings with hotel operators, restaurant owners, and small vendors on how to handle situations politely to ensure a safe and tourist-friendly environment.
"This year, I can enjoy the sea while relaxing under an umbrella, as I noticed that small vendors are not repeatedly approaching us to buy their products. This is a good sign," said Sumaiya while enjoying the sea.
Kaiser Hamid, coordinator of the volunteers, told the FE that these youths have been trained since 2019 under a sustainable tourism project, and they are deployed for the first time at key beach points during the Eid festival. No major untoward incident has occurred this year due to their efforts.
The Bangladesh Tourism Board under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism also played a key role. A delegation met with the stakeholders just before the Eid holiday to guide all on the roles to be played for a successful tourism season.
Fatema Rahim Veena, Additional Secretary of the Ministry, said the Eid has always been a peak tourism season in the country, and volunteers have been engaged for the first time this year to ensure safe and enjoyable experiences for visitors.
She acknowledged that the number of volunteers is low compared to the influx of tourists. But the government has plans to expand such initiatives by motivating more youths to safeguard local resources during the peak tourism seasons.
smunima@yahoo.com