Biggest tourists spot Cox's Bazar is hard hit by the blockade
Surrounded by natural beauty, Cox's Bazar has the largest unbroken beach in the world. Its length is about 120 km. This Southeastern tourist town had been full of tourists from home and abroad all year round to enjoy the waves and natural beauty of the endless waters of the Bay of Bengal. In addition to foreign currency income, local hotel-motel businessmen make hundreds of crores of money.
However, due to the country's political crisis and the blockade called by BNP-Jamaat, Cox's Bazar beach has become almost empty of tourists. Meanwhile, due to the unstable situation of the country, foreign tourists are not coming to the country. The hotel-motel owners said that they have been facing a loss of hundreds of crores of money. If this continues, the tourism industry will collapse.
It is known that more than 50 lakh tourists come to the sea city of Cox's Bazar throughout the year. Lakhs of tourists come to Cox's Bazar during holidays or winter season. As a result, hoteliers along with local restaurants and other businessmen prepare hundreds of crores of business every season. However, due to the country's political crisis, the hotel-motel businessmen of Cox's Bazar are spending their days worrying about the loss of hundreds of crores of money for tourists.
In this regard, General Secretary of Cox's Bazar Hotel-Motel Guest House Owners Association Salim Newaz told Barta24.com that since the BNP-Jamaat grand rally on October 28, tourists have decreased in Cox's Bazar. This year is an election year. Before the election we have a business. The season had started, the tourists were coming well. But due to the continuous blockade, tourists have stopped coming. Also, we had some advance bookings, which got cancelled.
He also said that currently there are 5-10 percent tourists coming by plane and private car. The transportation movement is closed to say the least. We don't get many tourists even on Fridays. People don't want to take risks. If this continues, we will face serious losses. We have already lost hundreds of crores of money. If this continues, the tourism industry will face disaster.
Meanwhile, the people of various professions of the beach are also spending their days in difficulty due to the lack of tourists. The beach chairs are empty because there are no tourists. Beach drinks, tea and hawkers are not sold. Beach horses and beach motors are lazing around.
Due to the decrease in tourists, the road children are also suffering from a financial crisis. People from all walks of life urge to revive the tourism city after overcoming the unstable situation and political crisis of the country.
Maryam Begum sells cucumbers on the footpath; she brought 1000 taka cucumbers a week ago and has not yet been able to sell them. She was waiting for the customer with a look of disappointment in her eyes and a look of worry on his face. Online news portal Barta24.com talked to Maryam Begum.
She said that people are not coming for the strike and there is no sale. Running a family is difficult. What will I eat with the money I sell? This time is full of people. People are not coming because of fear.
Sohag the drink seller said, ede no lok no, ajno becha jena no hare, ai hakal te ede, 200 tenya no bechi.
Md. Kamrul Hassan took care of 20 sleeper chairs on Cox's Bazar beach. Chairs worth lakhs of takas are lying idle as there are no tourists. He claims that he is deprived of a large amount of income every day.
Beach photographer Limon Hossain said that tourists are not coming due to the ongoing blockade. For this our income is less. The more tourists, the better for us.
Locals said that no crisis in the country should prevent tourists from coming to the tourist city of Cox's Bazar. Along with that, the people concerned urge to increase the traffic of tourists to keep the wheels of the country's economy moving along with the foreign currency income every year by using the beauty of Cox's Bazar.