Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority to frame a ‘master plan’ to turn Cox’s Bazar into a global tourist destination. She has underscored the need for planting more trees in the coastal areas of Cox’s Bazar to protect the tourist town from natural calamities. The premier has also directed the Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar to prepare a separate layout so that all buildings and other infrastructures are constructed in a disciplined manner in Cox’s Bazar city.
The direction came at the ECNEC meeting on Tuesday held at the NEC Conference Room in city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area. Experts said that Bangladesh could do a booming business if the longest unbroken sand beach in the world in Cox’s Bazaar is developed in a planned manner. They said that there are immense potentials in attracting millions of tourists every year if the beach, 120 km long, is developed to an international standard tourist spot.
Experts believe that Bangladesh could prosper economically from developing the beach. They said that huge economic activities would bring massive foreign exchange hence contributing to the country’s development. Such opportunities should not be ignored, they said adding that many countries in the world having similar but much smaller beach have made huge economic development just by developing their sea beaches.
The beach is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Southeast Asia already attracting travellers from many parts of the world. In general, little is known about the beach which has natural sand that makes it so magnificent! The golden sand stretches for miles after miles, cliffs and waterfalls often found in between. The gushing sound of the waves, flamboyant pagodas, Buddhist temples and tribes, occasional conch shells, enjoyable seafood make Cox’s Bazaar the tourist capital of Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, in the Tuesday’s ECNEC meeting, eight projects involving Tk 5,142.06 crore were approved. The projects included the one to widen and strengthen important upazila and union roads in Dhaka Division worth Taka 2,606 crore. During the meeting, Sheikh Hasina rejected a proposal to buy more diesel electric multiple unit (Demu) trains, saying they are not viable for operation in the country and people did not get desired services from the trains, which were purchased earlier. The trains remained inoperative and there is no workshop to repair those.
She suggested introducing a dedicated direct train service between Dhaka and the hi-tech park at Kaliakair in Gazipur. Demu trains were introduced in the country in 2013. A total of 20 trains were imported from China as per a US $58.31 million deal signed in 2011. According to railway sources, at least half of the trains are inoperative.
After the meeting, Planning Secretary Nurul Amin briefed the media. He said that the Prime Minister directed the Development Authority in Cox’s Bazar to prepare a master plan for development of tourism industry in Cox’s Bazar. “The Prime Minister said the development projects will be started after the master plan is approved. Different zones will be created for foreign tourists and asked to plant more trees in the coastal areas of Cox’s Bazar to protect the tourist town from natural calamities, the planning secretary also said.
The other projects approved in the meeting are overhauling and widening of main road from Holiday Circle-Bazarghata-Larpara (bus Stand) under Cox’s Bazar town with Taka 258.82 crore, Establishment of telecommunication network at Mirsarai Economic Zone in Chattogram with Taka 61.90 crore.
It also approved irrigation development at Pabna-Natore-Sirajganj upazilas through using surface water with Taka 560.53 crore, Chittagong Hill Tracts rural development project 2nd phase, 3rd Revised with Taka 224.50 crore, Veterinary Public Health Service strengthening project for protecting public health with Taka 73.26 crore and Export competitiveness for jobs project, 1st Revised with Taka 1,012.12 crore.