Businesses ordered to remove illegal establishments on Cox's Bazar beach within a day

The Cox's Bazar district administration has directed businesses to remove all illegal shops and temporary establishments built on the Cox's Bazar beach within a day, in line with a High Court directive.

Today (7 December), while starting an eviction drive at the Jhinuk Market on the beach's Sugandha Point in Baliari, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nilufa Yasmin Chowdhury issued the order.

With a large number of law enforcement officials, the UNO called on the shop owners and hawkers to remove their belongings on their own through loudspeakers.

"The High Court ordered the removal of all structures from the beach. In accordance with this order, the district administration is calling on everyone to vacate the beach," she said.

Mentioning the businessmen are cooperating with the eviction drive, the UNO said, "They are already working to remove the temporary establishments."

According to officials concerned, there are at least 500 illegal establishments from Laboni to Kalatali points on the beach.

On 19 April 1999, the government declared the Cox's Bazar beach area as an ecologically critical area (ECA) and issued a gazette notification.

According to this gazette, construction on the beach is prohibited. However, despite not following the law, the construction of structures has continued for a long time.

In light of a writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) in 2017, the High Court directed that no construction be allowed in an area of 300 meters from the tidal line of the beach.

Recently, in response to a notice from Bela to implement the High Court's verdict, an order was issued to voluntarily remove the structures within a day.