Cox's Bazar opens a limited range of tourist centers

 
Tourist centers in Coxsbazar, which had been closed for nearly five months to prevent COVID-19 infections, reopened on Monday. Thousands of tourists are now in Cox's Bazar before the official opening of the tourist center. Hotels, motels and beach shops have also opened.

However, due to light pressure in the sea for several days, the warning signal number 3 is still in force in the district, which is hampering the movement of tourists. Coxsbazar's tourism-based businesses, including the beach, have been closed since March 18. Later, the district was declared a lockdown, the city was declared a red zone and all kinds of shops and businesses were closed. After a long three-and-a-half months, the lockdown was relaxed from July 1 and the shops in the district were reopened, but the tourist centers were not officially opened.

However, at the monthly meeting of the district law and order committee last week, it was decided to open limited places of interest for tourists in Coxsbazar municipality from Monday, said the Deputy Commissioner Md. Kamal Hossain.

The deputy commissioner said that the hotels and motels in the city are being opened on 13 conditions as per the health rules. As a result, it is expected that the famous scene of the city will return from Monday.

However, the tourism industry has to be opened by maintaining strict physical and social distance by strictly following the hygiene rules. All the terms and conditions of the procedure made in this regard must be complied with. Obey national guidelines. Although it has been officially announced that the tourist centers in the district will be opened from Monday, the air traffic has been opened more than a fortnight ago.

Earlier last month, hotels in Kuakata Beach, Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet were opened. Abul Kashem Sikder, general secretary of the district of the Federation of Tourism Owners Association Bangladesh, Coxsbazar, hopes that people who have been under house arrest for a long time due to the lockdown will return to Coxsbazar to enjoy free air. But now there is no opportunity for extra tourists to stay in one room.

A maximum of two people can stay in the couple bed and twin bed according to the hygiene rules. As such, a maximum of 82,000 tourists will be able to spend the night in more than four hundred hotels, motels and guest houses in the town. This capability was doubled before Corona, he said. Meanwhile, many tourists have been coming to the district for a few days before the official opening of the tourist center from Monday. It has been raining intermittently in Coxsbazar for several days. Warning signal No. 3 is in force on the coast of the district due to light pressure in the sea.

Due to this, the walking of tourists in the city and beach is being disrupted.

On the other hand, the Coxsbazar District Tourist Police has also taken steps to ensure the overall safety of tourists and the tourism industry. The concerned departments have confirmed that the Coxsbazar Beach Management Committee, rescue teams and all concerned have made their necessary preparations.

--- Chanchal Dash Gupta,
Cox's Bazar