INTRODUCTION

Cox's Bazar (Bengali: Kksho Bajar or Kks Bazar) is a town, a fishing

port and district headquarter in Bangladesh. It is known for its wide sandy beach
which is claimed to be the world's longest natural sandy sea beach. It is an
unbroken 125 km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. Since the rise and fall of
the tide here is not great, it is a good place for sea bathing. Located at a distance of
152 km. south of Chittagong, the leading seaport of Bangladesh, Cox's Bazar is
connected both by air and road from Dhaka and Chittagong. A drive to Teknaf,
which is the southernmost tip of the mainland of Bangladesh, is a memorable
journey. A day trip to either Moheshkhali or Sonadia, the deltaic islands nestled
among the gentle waves of the Bay of Bengal, will also be really interesting. Coxs
Bazar is also known by the name "Panowa", the literal translation of which means
"yellow flower". Its other old name was "Palongkee". Cox's Bazar is one of the
most visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh; it has yet to become a major
international tourist destination, due to lack of publicity.

Private hotels have recently been built in the picturesque southeastern Banderban
district, where a tribal insurgency ended in 1997 with a peace treaty. The
government recently handed over some of BPC's motels and restaurants in Cox's
Bazar and elsewhere to private management to increase revenue as well as ensure
better facilities for tourists. Cox's Bazar got its first five-star accommodation in
December, a hotel overlooking the world's largest natural white sand beach and
basking in its spectacular sunsets.

A spokesman for the state-owned Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC), told

AFP tourism was growing every year, with the government doing its best to lure
travelers to the South Asian nation.
BPC statistics show just 11,179 people visited the country in 1992, but the figure
jumped massively in 2000 to 207,199 visitors, who brought in about 2.65 billion
taka (about 46 million USD) in foreign exchange. No figures are available for
2001 and 2002. Of total travelers in 2000, nearly 18.56 percent came to
Bangladesh for pleasure visits, 16.47 percent were on business and the remainder nearly 70 percent - had multiple reasons for arriving. Britons, Americans, Koreans,
Japanese, Indians, Nepalese and Pakistanis topped the list of foreign travelers.

The Town:
Located along the Bay of Bengal in South Eastern Bangladesh,
Cox's Bazar Town is a small port and health resort. But it is mostly famous for its
long natural sandy beach. Cox's Bazar municipality was constituted in 1869 and
was turn into a town committee in 1959. The town committee was again replaced
by municipality in 1972 and it was elevated to B-grade in 1989. The municipality
covers an area of 6.85 sq km with 27 mahallas and 9 wards; population 60234;
male 57.09%, female 42.91%. The literacy rate among the town people is 52.2%.
Cox's Bazar having been a great tourist resort various establishments have
developed in the town including 6 big hotels, 30 medium hotels, 50 semi-medium
hotels, Jhinuk market for the tourists and the Burmese market dealing in luxury
goods from Burma, Thailand and China.

ADMINISTRATION: Cox's Bazar thana was established in 1854 and was turned
into an upazila in 1983. It consists of 10 union parishads, 1 municipality, 37
mouzas and 140 villages.

POPULATION: Total 253788; male 54%. female 46%; Muslim 89.56%, Hindu
8.31%, Buddhist 2%, Christian 0.01%, others 0.12%; ethnic nationals: Maghs and
Rakhains 5325.

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS: Mosque 296, temple 21, pagoda 17, church 5,

mazar 5.

NOTABLE INSTITUTIONS: Cox's Bazar Central Jami Masjid, Badar Mokam

Jami Masjid, Bara Bazar Jami Masjid, Idgah Bazar Central Jami Mosque, Cox's
Bazar Kalibari Mandir, Cox's Bazar Saraswati-bari Mandir, tombs of Shah
Alauddin, Maulana Nurul Haque (Dula Fakir), Petan Shah, Kalu Shah, Mozaher
Shah.

LITERACY & EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: Average literacy 27.06%;

male 35.03%, female 19.09%. College (government) 2, college (non-government)
2, law college 1, high school (government) 2, high school (non-government) 26,
junior high school 3, primary teacher's training institute 1, technical training
institute 1, madrasa 55, primary school (government) 64, primary school (nongovernment) 38, NGO operated primary school 22, kindergarten 9.
Cox's Bazar Government High School (1874), Idgah Ideal High School (1928).

CULTURAL ORGANISATIONS: Public library 2, literary organisation 1, club

20, officer's club 1, co operative society 366, women's association 2, theatre party
1, cinema hall 3, playground 10.

MAIN OCCUPATION: Agriculture 15.86%, agricultural labourer 13.1%, wage

labourer 7.86%, commerce 19.34%, service 7.93%, transport 2.79%, fishing
6.55%, industries 1.32%, constructions 1.42%, others 23.83%.

History:

The greater Chittagong area including Cox's Bazar was under the
rule of Arakan Kings from the early 9th century till its conquest by the Mughals in
1666 AD. When the Mughal Prince Shah Shuja was passing through the hilly
terrain of the present day Coxs Bazar on his way to Arakan, he was attracted to
the scenic and captivating beauty of the place. He commanded his forces to camp
there. His retinue of one thousand palanquins stopped there for some time. A place
named Dulahazara, meaning "one thousand palanquins", still exists in the area.
After the Mughals, the place came under the control of the Tipras and the
Arakanese, followed by the Portuguese and then the British.
The name Cox's Bazar/Bazaar originated from the name of a British East India
Company officer, Captain Hiram Cox who was appointed as the Superintendent of
Palonki (today's Cox's Bazar) outpost after Warren Hastings became the Governor
of Bengal following the British East India Company Act in 1773. Captain Cox was
especially mobilized to deal with a century long conflict between Arakan refugees
& local Rakhains at Palonki. The Captain made significant progress in
rehabilitation of refugees in the area, but had died (in 1799) before he could finish
his work. To commemorate his role in rehabilitation work a market / bazaar was
established and was named after him as Cox's Bazaar (market of Cox). Cox's
Bazar thana was first established in 1854 and a municipality was constituted in
1869.
After the Sepoy Mutiny (Indian Rebellion of 1857) in 1857, the British East India
Company was highly criticized & questioned in humanitarian ground specially for
its Opium trade monopoly over the Indian Sub-Continent. However after getting
dissolved on January 1, 1874, all of company's assets including its Armed Forces
were acquired by the British Crown. After this historic take over, Cox's Bazar was
declared as a district of the Bengal Province under the British Crown.

After the end of British rule in 1947, Cox's Bazar remained as a part of East
Pakistan. Captain Advocate Fazlul Karim, the first Chairman (after independence
from the British) of Cox's Bazar Municipality established the Tamarisk Forest
along the beach to draw tourist attention in this town and also to protect the beach
from tidal waves. He also donated many of his father in laws and his own lands
for establishing a Public Library and a Town Hall for the town. He was inspired to
build Cox's Bazar as a tourist spot after seeing beaches of Bombay and Karachi,
and one of the pioneers in developing Cox's Bazar as such. He founded a
Maternity Hospital, the Stadium and the drainage system by procuring grants from
the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation through correspondence. Mr. T.
H. Matthews, the principal of the Dacca Engineering College (1949~1954) was his
friend who had helped him in doing this. Engineer Chandi Charan Das was the
government civil engineer who had worked on all these projects. In 1959 the
municipality was turned into a town committee. In 1961 the erstwhile Geological
Survey of Pakistan initiated investigation of radioactive minerals like monazite
around the Coxs Bazar sea-beach area and a number of precious heavy minerals
were identified the same year.
In 1971, Cox's Bazar wharf was used as a naval port by the Pakistan Navy's
gunboats. This and the nearby airstrip of the Pakistan Air Force were the scene of
intense shelling by the Indian Navy during Bangladesh Liberation War. During the
war, Pakistani soldiers killed many people in the town including eminent lawyer
Jnanendralal Chowdhury. The killing of two freedom fighters named Farhad and
Subhash at Badar Mokam area is also recorded in history.
After the independence of Bangladesh Cox's Bazar started to get the
administrative attention. In 1972 the town committee of Cox's Bazar was again
turned into a municipality. In 1975, The Government of Bangladesh established a
pilot plant at Kalatali, Cox's Bazar to assess the commercial viability of the heavy

mineral content in the placer deposits of the area with the cooperation of the
Australian Government. Later, in 1984 Cox's Bazar subdivision was promoted to a
district and 5 years later (in 1989) the Cox's Bazar municipality was elevated to Bgrade. In 1994 (jobs) the Marine Fisheries and Technology Station (MFTS) was
established at Cox's Bazar. MFTS is a research station of Bangladesh Fisheries
Research Institute (BFRI) headquartered in Mymensingh. The station covers a
land area of 4 hectors and is equipped with 5 specialized laboratories, and one
indoor and one outdoor cistern complex. In April 2007 Bangladesh got connected
to the submarine cable network as a member of the SEA-ME-WE-4 Consortium,
as Cox's Bazar was selected as the landing station of the submarine cable.

Geography and Climate:

Cox's Bazar town with an area of 6.85

km, is located at 21350N 92010E and bounded by Bakkhali River on the
north and East, Bay of Bengal in the West, and Jhilwanj Union in the south.
The climate of Bangladesh is mostly determined by its location in the tropical
monsoon region: high temperature, heavy rainfall, often excessive humidity, and
distinct seasonal variations. The reversal of the wind circulation between summer
and winter is another important feature of the climate of the country. The climate
of Cox's Bazar is mostly similar to the rest of the country. It is further
characterized by the location in the coastal area. The annual average temperature
in Cox's Bazar remains at about a maximum of 34.8 C and a minimum of 16.1
C. The average amount of rainfall remains at 4,285 mm.

Economy and Development:

As a most beautiful and famous

tourist spot of Bangladesh, the major source of economy of Cox's Bazar is
tourism. Millions of foreigners and Bangladeshi natives visit this coastal city every
year. Therefore, a number of hotel, guest house, and motel have been built in the
city and coastal region. Many people are involved in these hospitality and
customer service type business. A number of people are also involved in fishing
and collecting seafood and sea products for their livelihood. Out of several sea
products various kinds of Oyster, Snail, Pearl and their ornaments are very popular
to tourists in the seaside and city stores. A number of people are also involved in
the transportation business for tourists. Cox's Bazar is also one of the few major
spots for aquaculture in Bangladesh. Along with Khulna, it is considered as a
major source of foreign exchange earning of the country from this sector. Besides,
a mix of small-scale agriculture, marine and inland fishing and salt production are
other industrial sources from this region that plays important role in the national
economy. If we look at the economy and perspective development of this region,
there are so many things that authority can improve. To improve the economy of
this region the authority can have agreement with any private development firm or
with foreign company. If necessary development can be done by the agreement it
will play a great role to our economy. There are several things that can be
improved. For example, development of the hotel management, development of
the customer service, development of the whole structure of the town,
development of the transport, development of the training facility and so on. From
above example of development the most important thing is the development of the
whole structure of the town and to make this development successful the authority
should make a plan.

Tourist attractions near the town:

The beach is the main

attraction of the town. Larger hotels provide exclusive beachside area with
accessories for the hotel guests. Visitors in other hotels visit the Laboni beach
which is the area of the beach closest to the town. Other than the beach there are
several places of interest near the town which can easily be visited from town
center.

Aggameda Khyang: A large Buddhist monastery, and a place revered by

around 400,000 Buddhist people of Coxs Bazar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The main sanctuary is posted on a series of round timber columns. It has a prayer
chamber and an assembly hall along with a repository of large and small bronze
Buddha images and a number of old manuscripts.
The village is famous for its handicrafts and homemade cigars. There are
monasteries, khyangs and pagodas containing images of Buddha in gold, bronze
and other metals inlaid with precious stones. One of the most interesting of these
temples is on the bank of the Baghkhali River. It houses not only interesting relics
and Burmes handicrafts but also a large bronze statue of Buddha measuring
thirteen feet high and rests on a six feet high pedestal. The wood carving of this
khyang is very delicate and refined. The village has a charm of its own. Weavers
ply their trade in open workshops and craftsmen make handmade cigars in their
pagoda like houses.

Dulhazra Safari Park: This Park was developed on an undulating landscape

of around 2,224 acres of area at Chakaria Upazila in Cox's Bazar District,
Bangladesh, some 107 km away from the port city, with an objective to create

facilities for eco-tourism, research work and entertainment aside from conserving
wild animals in a natural environment.
Dulhazra Park is home to at least 4,000 animals of 165 species. After the new
government took over in January 2007, joint forces rescued many of these new
residents of the park during their drives at houses and establishments owned by
graft suspects. Many individuals also donated some of the animals to the park
during this period. The seized and donated animals recently sent to the park
include 90 spotted deer (chital), 42 barking deer (maya, a species of muntjac deer),
three sambar deer, one freshwater crocodile, one saltwater crocodile, nine black
bear, four pythons, 17 peacocks, 19 Turkish pheasants and two emus.
Other source of animal includes the Dhaka Zoo. While the animal population in
Dhaka zoo has increased over the years due to their breeding, the Dhaka zoo
donates a number of lions and tigers to the Dulhazra Safari Park.

Visitor Attractions:
The park itself protects a large number of wild elephants which are native to the
area. In the safari park there are domesticated elephants which are available for a
ride. Other animal attractions include lions, Bengal tigers, Crocodiles, Bears,
Chitals and lots of different types of birds and monkeys.
Since the park was made open to the public, it has been drawing a huge crowd all
year round 6,000 visitors daily during peak season (November to March) and
2,000 visitors daily during off season (April to October). This safari park is an
extension of an animal sanctuary located along the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar road
about 50 km from Cox's Bazar town.

PIC: Dulhazra Safari Park.

Inani Beach: Located around 32 kilometers to the south of the popular tourist
destination of Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh, the beautiful Inani Beach attracts
visitors who appreciate the wonders of nature. With a backdrop of lush green hills
rising up on the east, and the sea stretching out endlessly to the west, Inani Beach
is famous for its unusually shaped rock and coral boulders scattered plentifully
across the beach and into the sea.

Inani Beach, widely considered to be the worlds longest beach, is fringed with tall
palm trees swaying gently in the breeze and has a calm lagoon which is perfect for
the little ones to paddle in. Sitting on the rock and coral boulders with the warm
waves washing up on the shore around you, as they have done for millions of
years, can be a very therapeutic experience. Seashells of all shapes, colors and
sizes are found along Inani Beach, making beachcombing a popular activity.
While Inani Beach is just as beautiful as the beach at Coxs Bazar, it lacks some of
the amenities that tourists may expect, and it is advisable to take a packed lunch
with you when you visit there. However, those who have taken the time to explore
Inani Beach will testify that its beauty far outweighs anything it may be lacking in
amenities. In fact, many are of the opinion that the lack of hotels and fast food
vendors add to the appeal of Inani Beach.

PIC: Inani Beach

Moheshkhali: It is another attraction for the tourists who go to Coxs Bazaar.
An island off the coast of Cox's Bazar. It has an area of 268 square kilometers.
Through the center of the island and along the eastern coastline rises, a range of
low hills, 300 feet high; but the coast to the west and north is a low-lying treat,
fringed by mangrove jungle. In the hills on the coast is built the shrine of Adinath,

dedicated to Siva. By its side on the same hill is Buddhist Pagoda. You can go to
this Island by local motorboat called trawler or by speedboat. By trawler, it takes
an hour and a half and by speedboat, it takes only half an hour to reach this Island.
You will find mangrove forests, hilly areas, salt field etc. This island is famous for
Buddhist Temple and Pagoda; you can enjoy a full day sight seeing if you intend
to visit Sonadia and some other Islands nearby. In the morning you can start for
Moheskhali, spend time to watch Moheskhalis tourist places, take lunch there and
on return you can visit Sonadia and other nearby Islands where you can sea the
live fishing & fishermen lifestyle; by the afternoon you can come back to Coxs
Bazaar.

PIC: Moheshkhali
Ramu: This is a typical Buddhist village, about 16 km. from Cox's Bazar, on the
main road to Chittagong. There are monasteries, khyangs and pagodas containing
images of Buddha in gold, bronze and other metals inlaid with precious stones.
One of the most interesting of these temples is on the bank of the Baghkhali River.
It houses not only interesting relics and Burmes handicrafts but also a large bronze
statue of Buddha measuring thirteen feet high and rests on a six feet high pedestal.
The wood carving of this khyang is very delicate and refined. The village has a
charm of its own. Weavers ply there trade in open workshops and craftsmen make
handmade cigars in their pagoda like houses.

It has 26964 units of house hold and the area of the town is 22.03 sq km. As of the
1991 Bangladesh census, Ramu has a population of 167480. Males constitute are
51.41% of the population, and females 48.59%. This Upazila's eighteen up
population is 74742. Ramu has an average literacy rate among town people is
34%., and the national average of 32.4% literate.Ramu thana was transformed into
an upazila in 1983. It consists of 9 union parishads, 39 mouzas and 102 villages.

PIC: Ramu

Sonadia Island: It is about seven kilometer of Cox's Bazar and about nine
square kilometer in area. The western side of the island is sandy and different
kinds of shells are found on the beach. Off the northern part of the island, there are
beds of window pane oysters. During winter, fishermen set up temporary camps on
the island and dry their catches of sea fish.
Sonadia Island is a small island of about 9 sq.km offshore from Cox's Bazaar in
southeastern Bangladesh. It is the north-west of Cox's Bazar. Sonadia Island is
very rich for different kinds of shells. Thousands of fishermen camp here in every
winter and make large hauls. Sonadia Island if famous for the industry of dry fish.

The sight of game birds migration is in great numbers in winter season is also for
another tourist attraction.
Sonadia is seen as a potential deepwater port lying on the Bay of Bengal that could
serve the landlocked parts of India, Myanmar and China.
Rail connections have yet to be build, and the question of gauge has yet to be
resolved as the following gauges are in use or possible:
1676mm - Bangladesh, India
1000mm - Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, etc.
1435mm - China

PIC: Sonadia Island

St. Martins Island: It is a small island in the northeast of the bay of Bengal,
about 9 km south of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsular tip and forming the
southernmost part of Bangladesh. It is about 8 km west of the northwest coast of
Myanmar at the mouth of the river Naf. The island lies between 9218 and 9221
E longitudes and 2034 and 2039N latitudes. The local people call it Narikel
Jinjira. It is almost flat and is 3.6m above the mean sea level. The 9.66 km wide
channel between the mainland and the island is much shallower than the open sea
southwest of the island. There are reefs from 10-15 km to the west-northwest.

The island is 7.315 km long and is aligned NNW and SSE. Geographically, it is
divided into three parts. The northern part is called Narikel Jinjira or Uttarpara and
is 2,134m long and 1,402m wide. The southern part is known as Dakshinpara,
which is 1,929m long, with a narrow tail of 1,890m towards the southeast, and a
maximum width of 975m. A narrow central belt or Maddhyapara connects the two
parts. The length and the width of this belt are about 1,524m and 518m
respectively and the narrowest collar is known as Golachipa. In addition to the
main island there are a number of tiny islets ranging from 100 to 500 sq m which
are locally known as Chheradia or Siradia which means separated island. There is
a shallow lagoon in the middle of Uttarpara and it is connected to the sea during
high tide by a narrow channel on the western coast. The topsoil of Uttarpara
consists of alluvial sands mixed with shells of mollusks. There are two small dead
lagoons and a stretch of marshy land in Dakshinpara. Fish landing sites, bazars
and schools are present only in Uttarpara.
Launches and country boats ply between the island and teknaf regularly. The
population is about 3,700 and most of them are fishermen belonging to 535
families. One hundred eighty-two species of wildlife are recorded from the island.
Of these, 4 species are amphibians, 28 reptiles, 130 birds and 20 mammals.
Tourism to the northern part of the island exists during four months (November to
February). The most densely populated part is Jinjira. There is scarcity of sweet
water on the island. Only a few ponds and a number of tube wells supply sweet
water for drinking as well as for cultivation. Though the island falls in the
monsoon zone, the climate is much influenced by the sea. The main vegetation is
coconut, betel nut and bamboo. Coconut trees are abundant and more concentrated
in the Jinjira area. The soil of the island is not so fertile. The main agricultural
products are onion, watermelon and some rice.
The geological structure of the island is simple and is represented by anticline
uplift. A little of the axis of the anticline is traceable along the west coast of
Dakshinpara. The exposed portion of the axis runs NNW to SSE, approximately
parallel to the island. There is a fault along the northwestern shoreline with a trend
nearly parallel to the axis. St Martin's limestone is composed of molluscan coquina
horizons (shelly limestone) and coral clusters (coralline limes tones). Being very
porous and permeable, the shelly limestone provides an excellent aquifer wherever
they occur beneath the alluvium. Recent marine sands and the shelly limestone are
the chief source of fresh water.
Several living small coral colonies are found in small sheltered pools very near the
low tide level around the island. They also occur in the surrounding shallow sea,
mostly growing on the beach rocks and calcareous sandstone concretions. The
dead coral colonies also occur in pool-like depressions within the high and low
tide levels. Some of them are located at an elevation of nearly 3.50m above the

low tide level. The oldest fossil coral belongs to Late Pleistocene, giving an age of
33,238 years (C14 dating). The clearest indication of the Holocene upliftment of
the island is the appearance of an emerged 3.0m coquina limestone cliff on the
coast of Dakshinpara ranging in age from 450 years at the base to 292 years at the
top (C14 dating). The mean uplifting rate of the island, calculated from the above
data, is 19.0 mm/year. The location of the cliff is 1.5m above the present high tide
level and on the eastern up thrown faulted block.
The emerged dead corals characterized by Parties sp, Acropora sp, Cyphostrea sp,
and Platygyrn sp provide evidence of lower level emergence, i.e., they have been
raised above the level at which they are at present forming/living. The radiocarbon
dates from emerged dead corals are recorded below the ultra low level liquid
scintillations detection limit (i.e. 0 BP). This suggests that the dead corals have
emerged fairly recently, indeed are still in the process of emerging. This means
that the environment of St Martin's Island is now not favorable for the growth and
development of the only coral island of the country that started forming at least
since the last maximum glacial age (ca 40,000 years ago).
Cheera-dwip is a part of St. Martins Island but divided during tides. You can go to
Cheera-dwip by walking. About two and a half hours walk from St. Martins Island
or you can go there also by local motorboat or tourist boat. In that Island you will
find the Corals - living and dead all over the Island. A small bush is there which in
the only green part of Cheera-dwip, enhancing the beauty of this island. People do
not live in this Island, so advisable for the tourists to go there early and come back
by afternoon.

Nijhum Island could be the next prime tourist spot after St. Martins Island. Its a
natural beauty of mangrove forests where you will find Dears of specific species
and Monkeys. A huge numbers of migrated birds come in this Island in winter
season, enhancing the beauty of this Island. The communication is not excellent
but if some one wishes to bear the trouble to go to this Island, he will be enchanted
to see the beauty of this Island. You can go to this Island either from Dhaka or
from Chittagong.
From Chittagong first you will to go Hatia Island by Motor boat or Ship and from
there you can go to Nijhum Island by local motor boat. From Dhaka you can go

Tomzuddion by launch from Sadarghat launch terminal. From there you can go to
Nijhum Island by local motorboat.
Accommodation is very limited for the tourists in this Island. You can take foods
from local restaurants but be careful about the quality of foods. If you can take
prior permission for forest department then you can stay in forest rest house in
Nijhum Island. Another possibility for accommodation is in District Parishod
Guest house. If you take the permission from Thana administration (TNO) of
Hatia you can also stay in the District Parishod Guest house. For the adventure
seekers Nijhum Island could be one of the greatest experience of journey and it
will be a memorable enjoyment to stay and pass some days in this isolated Island.

PIC: St. Martins Island.

Teknaf: Teknaf is an Upazila of Cox's Bazar District in the Division of
Chittagong, Bangladesh. It forms the southernmost point in mainland Bangladesh
(St. Martin's Island is the southernmost point). Southernmost tip of Bangladesh,
Teknaf situated on the Naaf River and just at the end of the hilly regions of the
district. Mayanmar is on the opposite bank of Naaf River. Wild animals and birds
are available but the most interesting thing is a journey on the river. Wide sandy
beach in the backdrop of high hills with green forests is an enchanting scene never
to be forgotten.

It has 23675 units of house hold and total area 388.68 km. As of the 1991
Bangladesh census, Teknaf has a population of 152557. Males constitute are
51.81% of the population, and females 48.19%. This Upazila's eighteen up
population is 64417. Teknaf has an average literacy rate of 16.6% (7+ years), and
the national average of 32.4% literate. Teknaf has 6 Unions/Wards, 13
Mauzas/Mahallas, and 133 villages.
Teknaf is the most southern or south-eastern coastal subdistrict under the Cox's
Bazar district of Bangladesh. This is the only place Bangladesh which is connected
with Myanmar (former Burma) by a small river called Naf River of Bangladesh.
Because of its geographical location this subdistrict has developed as most
interesting place for the foreign and local tourists. Because of tropical weather of
Bangladesh most of the tourist usually goes to visit this place during winter or in
between winter and autumn (October to March). It is about 100 km far away from
Cox's Bazar and well connected with various kinds of luxurious bus services.

PIC: Teknaf

Risks and Hazards:

The coastal areas of Cox's Bazar are prone to
devastating cyclones and landslides on a yearly basis. The areas near the Coxs
Bazar town are located directly in the high risk area for surge water heights above
1 meter as well as landslides. There was a 70% casualty rate near the town area

during the 1991 cyclone. Another hazard of the Cox's Bazar area is the high
natural background radiation which has been found to be above global average.
There have been reported incidents of human casualty due to actions of wild
elephants in the locality. The threat of mosquito borne diseases like Malaria also
may be higher in the area. However, all these hazards mainly affect long term
residents of the area and visiting tourists should be able to guard against these
risks with appropriate precautions. For them these are not at all a considerable
problem. Emergency health services are available in the Cox's Bazar district
hospital which is secondary level hospital in Bangladesh.

The beach:
Cox's Bazar beach is one of the most attractive tourist spots &
the longest sea beach in the world (approx. 120 km long). Miles of golden sands,
towering cliffs, surfing waves, rare conch shells, colorful pagodas, Buddhist
temples and tribes, delightful seafood--this is Cox's Bazar, the tourist capital of
Bangladesh. The warm shark free waters are good for bathing and swimming &

while the sandy beaches offer opportunities for sun-bathing. The beauty of the
setting-sun behind the waves of the sea is simply captivating. Locally made cigars
and handloom products of the tribal Rakhyne families are good buys. Every year
lots of foreign & local tourist come here to spend their leisure in Coxs Bazaar.
Though the season is in winter but Cox's Bazar sea beach is crowded almost
through out the year. Especially in winter season, it is hard to get an
accommodation in the hotels if booking is not made earlier. If you are really
adventurous and want to enjoy the wildness and madness of the ruff and tuff Sea
you can come to Cox's Bazar in the month of mid April, Sea continue its wildness
till August; and its even more exotic if you come to Cox's Bazar in the time of
depression of the Sea.

Places of interest along the beach:

Coxs Bazar, mostly
famous for its beautiful sea beach and the sunset, has several other attractions,
including:

Laboni Beach: This is the main beach of Cox's Bazar and is considered the
main beach due to the fact that it is closest to the town. Close to the beach, there
are hundreds of small shops selling souvenirs and beach accessories to the tourists.

Himchari: Located about 18 km south of Coxs Bazar along the sea beach, is a
nice place for the picnic and film shooting. This picnic spot is famous for its
waterfalls. The road to Himchari runs by the open sea on one side and hills on the
other which makes the journey to Himchari very attractive. Its another attraction is
the Christmas tree.

Enani Beach: Located 35 km south of Coxs Bazar, this white sandy beach is
located within Ukhia Thana. This beach is famous for its golden sand and cleans
shark free water which is ideal for sea bathing. Most tourists prefer to come down
here for relaxing because it is free from the crowd of tourists that is usually seen at
the Laboni beach.

Mineral content in beach sand:

Beach Sand Heavy
Mineral a placer deposit of heavy minerals e.g. zircon, ilmenite or rutile on
a contemporary or ancient beach or along a coastline. Investigation of
radioactive minerals like monazite by the erstwhile Geological Survey of
Pakistan around the cox's Bazar sea beach area started in 1961 and a

number of precious heavy minerals were identified the same year.

Geologists of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission carried out
reconnaissance work in 1967 and found that the beach sand contains
economically important heavy minerals.
After systematic surveys during 1967 to 1969 it was recognized that a
potential zone of heavy minerals exists along the entire coastal belt, mainly
from Cox's Bazar to Badarmokam, and in some areas of maheshkhali,
kutubdia and Matarbari islands. Later, in 1975, a pilot plant was installed at
Kalatali, Coxs Bazar with the cooperation of the Australian Government to
sample, separate and assesses the commercial viability of the heavy
mineral content in the placer deposits. In this plant, a flow sheet adopted
by the Australian Mineral Development Laboratory was used to separate
heavy minerals. By 1985 the nearly 550 km-long coastline of Bangladesh
was surveyed either partially or completely to map the beach sand heavy
minerals. It was found that the reserves were concentrated mainly along
the sea beaches of chittagong and Cox's Bazar districts. On the basis of
surveys carried out so far along the coast of Bangladesh a number of
heavy mineral placers are delineated. Until now seventeen placer deposits
are found; fifteen are in the Cox's Bazar-Chittagong sea beaches and
nearby offshore islands. In fact seven are from the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf sea
beaches (Cox's Bazar, Inani, Silkhali, teknaf, Sabrang and Badarmokam),
seven from Maheshkhali Island, one each from Matarbari, Kutubdia and
Nijhum islands, and Kuakata.
All the seventeen deposits include 20.5 million tons of raw sand, which
contains 4.4 million tons of heavy minerals (sp gr > 2.9). Only eight types
of economically important heavy minerals, namely, ilmenite, magnetite,
zircon, rutile, garnet, leucoxene, kyanite and monazite occur in these

deposits. The total stock of these eight types of heavy minerals in these
seventeen deposits is 1,761,000 tons. In Bangladesh, industrial uses of
beach sand heavy minerals are as follows:
About 60% of all Zircon is used in foundry facing works, while 15% is
consumed in the manufacture of zirconium metal, alloys and chemicals.
Zircon is extensively used in refractory products and in the manufacture of
glass. rutile is used as raw material in the pigment industry. The industry
consumes about 66% of the total rutile production, while 18% is used in
welding rod coatings. Ilmenite a source of TiO2 which is used chiefly as
white pigment. Ilmenite is extensively used in welding rod coatings. About
90% of the total Garnet production is used in the manufacture of emery
cloth, paper, wheel and grinding stones. Magnetite used chiefly as a
source of pig iron, which is the primary material for the production of cast
iron, wrought iron, malleable iron and the many varieties of ordinary and
special steels. Monazite is a source of rare-earth metals and thorium.
Leucoxene is being used as a substitute for rutile with the increasing
demand of TiO2 material. Kyanite serves as a source of aluminium. It is
extensively used in the manufacture of refractory and foundry products.

Tourists and accommodation:

Cox's Bazar, arguably the
best tourist spot in Bangladesh, is visited by a large number of tourists from
Britain, America, Korea, Japan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and many more countries
each year. Though there is no specific record in Bangladesh Porjatan Corporation
(BPC) on how many people usually visit Cox's Bazar each year but an AFP report

says that during the winter 10,000 available rooms in the beach area hotels usually
remain occupied almost seven days a week. Accommodation near the beach varies
from an expensive range to a reasonable price. Many private hotels, BPC Motels
and two Five Star hotels are located near the beach.
Hotel Sea Palace and Hotel Seagull both are five star hotels located at Cox's Bazar.
These two hotels are located just beside the Sea Beach. The room rates are very
much affordable. The rooms located at sea side are more then the rooms located at
hill side.
The Hotel will manage vehicle for your sight seeing facilities. In the off season the
hotel usually offers up to 40-50% discount from their published tariff plan.

Other tourist attractions near Cox's Bazar:

Chakaria: One of most large area in Cox's Bazar. It has 63671 units of house
hold and total area 643.46 km. As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Chakaria has a
population of 409346. Males constitute are 51.87% of the population, and females
48.13%. This Upazila's eighteen up population is 176608. Chakaria has an average

literacy rate of 23.4% (7+ years), and the national average of 32.4% literate.
Chakaria has 17 Unions/Wards, 66 Mauzas/Mahallas, and 340 villages.
Chakaria (Town) consists of 9 wards and 22 mahallas with an area of 2.95 sq km.

ADMINISTRATION: Chakaria thana was constituted in 1793 and was turned

into an upazila in 1983. It consists of 17 union parishads, one municipality, 64
mouzas and 340 villages.

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS: Mosque 400, temple 99, church 3, pagoda

16, mazar 6.
LITERACY and EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: Average literacy
23.15%; male 29.2%, female 17.1%. College 5, government high school 2, nongovernment high school 37, madrasa 26, government primary school 104, nongovernment primary school 77.
Manikpur Burmese Government Primary School (1828), Harbang Government
Primary School (1884), Pekua Government Primary School (1918), Chakaria
Government High School (1919), Sahrbil Anwarul Ulum Senior Madrasa (1918).

MAIN OCCUPATION: Agriculture 29.55%, fishing 2.03%, forestry 1.56%,

agricultural labourer 24.5%, non-agricultural labourer 6.74%, commerce
14.02%, service 4.96%, transport 1.98%, others 14.66%.

Bandarban: Bandarban lies three hours away from Cox's Bazaar by bus. The
Buddha Dhatu Jadi, the largest Buddhist temple in Bangladesh, located in
Balaghata, 4 km from the town, is an excellent place to visit. This Theravada

Buddhist temple is made completely in the style of South-East Asia and houses the
second largest statue of Buddha in Bangladesh. The waterfall named Shoilo Propat
at Milanchari is also an excellent site. In addition, the numerous Buddhist temples,
known as kyang in local tongue and vihars in the town include the highly notable
the Rajvihar (royal vihar) at Jadipara and the Ujanipara Vihar. Bawm villages
around Chimbuk, and Mru villages a little further off, are also lie within a day's
journey from the town. Prantik Lake, Jibannagar and Kyachlong Lake are some
more places of interest. And, a boat ride on the river Sangu is also an excellent
proposition. Inside Bangladesh, Bandarban is bordered by Cox's Bazaar,
Chittagong, Rangamati and Khagrachari. On the other side of the national border
lie Myanmar provinces of Chin and Arakan. The district also features river Sangu,
also known as Sangpo or Shankha, the only river born inside Bangladesh territory.
The other rivers in the district are Matamuhuri and Bakkhali. Meranja, Wailatong,
Tambang and Politai are the four hill ranges here. Parts of the biggest lake in
Bangladesh - Kaptai Lake - fall under the area of Bandarban.
One of the three hill districts of Bangladesh and a part of the Chittagong Hill
Tracts, Bandarban (4,479 km) is not only the remotest district of the country, but
also is the least populated (population 292,900). The three highest peak of
Bangladesh - Tahjindong (1280 meters, also known as bijoy), Mowdok Mual
(1052 m), and Keokradong (1230 m) - are located in Bandarban district, as well as
Raikhiang Lake, the highest lake in Bangladesh. Chimbuk peak and Boga Lake are
two more highly noted features of the district. The newly reported highest peak of
Bangladesh - Saka Haphong (3488 ft) is also here in Thanchi upazila.
A nearly 52 km hill-town housing about 32,000 people, of which the majority are
Bengali or Marma. There is a Tribal Cultural Institute here, which features a
library and a museum. The town also features Bandarban Town Hospital (offering
the best medical service in the district), the District Public Library, Bandarban

Government College, the District Stadium, banashri, the solitary movie theatre, the
royal cemetery, and, of course, the Royal Palace (two of them since the 11th and
13th royal lines both claim the throne). Apart from the numerous kyangs and
mosques, there is a temple dedicated to Kali, the most revered goddess of Hindus
is Bangladesh, as well as a centre maintained by ISKON.

Rangamati: One can reach Rangamati from Cox's Bazar either via Chittagong
or Bandarban. Rangamati offers several attractions including local tribal museum,
Buddhist temple, tribal markets, hanging bridge and even the palace of traibal
kings. The major attraction of the district is Kaptai Lake. It is a man-made lake in
the Kaptai upazila of Rangamati District. The lake was created as a result of
building the Kaptai Dam on the Karnaphuli River, as part of the Karnaphuli
Hydro-electric project. The beautiful view of surrounding green hills has turned
the lake into a wonderful spot for boating and cruising.

Rangamati is located in the Chittagong Division. The total area of the district is
6116.13 sq km. It is bounded by the Tripura state of India on the north, Bandarban
District on the south, Mizoram State of India and Chin State of Myanmar on the
east, and Khagrachari and Chittagong Districts on the west.
As per 1991 census, the religious break up of the population of the district were:
Buddhist 53.83%,Muslim 39.28%, Hindu 5.62% and Christian 1.12%.Genderwise,
male constituted 53.59% and female constituted 46.41% of the population.
The district of Rangamati consists of 10 upazilas, 1 municipality, 9 wards, 35
mahallas, 50 union parishads, 162 mouzas and 1347 villages. The upazilas are
Baghaichhari, Barkal, Kawkhali, Belaichhari, Kaptai, Juraichhari, Langadu,
Nannerchar, Rajasthali Rangapani and Rangamati sadar.

Although Cox's Bazar is one of the most visited tourist destinations in

Bangladesh, it has yet to become a major international tourist destination,
due to lack of publicity.

THE END