Bangladesh - Business in the beach town: Transformation over the years

‍Along the road from Kalatali to Labani points in the buzzing tourist town of Cox's Bazar, a vibrant stretch of hotels, motels, and restaurants has emerged over the years. The whole area has been transformed into a teeming tourist spot from a deserted landscape of water bodies and sand.

Decades ago, Laldighi, Main Road and Baharchhara were the focal points of tourism and trade, but now the hotel-motel zone has taken centre stage, offering a diverse array of accommodations and dining options catering to the influx of visitors.

As dusk settles over Cox's Bazar, a sense of tranquillity descends upon Diabetes Point. Unlike Kalatali and Sugandha points, Diabetes Point, despite being the town's first beach attraction, now exudes a serene emptiness. It is where the tale of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh's southernmost district, got off the ground to become a thriving tourist hub.

Cox's Bazar Beach (Bengali: কক্সবাজার সমুদ্র সৈকত), located at Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, is the longest natural sea beach in the world running 120 kilometres (75 mi) and 5th longest beach after Praia do Cassino of Brazil,  Padre Island on the US Gulf Coast, Eighty Mile Beach in Western Australia, and Ninety Mile Beach of Australia. It is the top tourist destination of Bangladesh.

Once, a handful of tourists used to get a charge out of the panoramic sea views while munching peanuts on the open beach. Today, that modest stretch of tourism has expanded into 120 kilometres of beaches, and the tourism industry's revenue has soared to crores of taka annually.

With a continuous cycle of innovation and adaptation, the economic landscape of Cox's Bazar has undergone a profound transformation over the past five decades. The town has witnessed a dynamic shift in economic activities.

Improvements in road infrastructure and the narrowing of waterways have played a pivotal role in reshaping the commercial landscape, leading to the emergence of new trade hubs. Now, on the cusp of another transformative chapter, Cox's Bazar is entering a new phase of growth with the launch of a rail network, promising to further unlock the town's economic potential.

"In the '60s, Noor Hotel in the Laldighi area was the heart and soul of Cox's Bazar," reminisced Abu Morshed Chowdhury, president of Cox's Bazar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while talking to The Business Standard. "Other prominent establishments included Mujah's Oushadhalaya (apothecary) and Descent Tailoring. Back then, well-developed roads were a rarity. Waterway was the main channel of communication, with a few wooden buses plying between Cox's Bazar and Chittagong. The filling of Kasturighat of the Bankkhali River, the decline of waterway communication, the expansion of the road network, and the construction of the Kalatali bypass road have collectively revolutionised the dynamics of trade and economic activities in the area."

As a resident of the Kasturighat area, Kamal Uddin witnessed the dramatic transformation of the region's rhythm of life and livelihood, brought about by the changing course of the river. "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman, and other heads of state traversed through this Kasturighat ghat of the Bankkhali River to reach various coastal areas. Ships once plied the Chittagong, Bhola, Manpura, Ramgati, Hatia, Kutubdia, Banshkhali, and Maheshkhali routes, making this ghat a busy hub of fish trade. Fish, dry fish, salt, and other agricultural products were transported through Kasturighat," he recounted.

"However, over time, the riverbed silted up, rendering the ghat unusable around the year 2000. In response, the municipality constructed ghat number six, but it failed to recapture the allure of the waterway route," Kamal further said.