Cox’s Bazar waterlogging: Tourists, locals relieved as water recedes

The waterlogging at Cox’s Bazar hotel-motel zone due to rainwater has receded from many areas, except for some low-lying parts of the town, bringing relief to both tourists and local residents.
Thousands of tourists were seen flocking to the sea beach after the intensity of heavy rain decreased to mere drizzling, reports our Cox’s Bazar staff correspondent.
Most areas of Cox’s Bazar went underwater due to record heavy rainfall — 501mm in 24 hours starting from Thursday night.
Abul Kasem Sikdar, president of the Hotel-Motel Guest House Owner Association, said waterlogging has become one of the major problems for tourism in recent years, especially after the Roads and Highway Department constructed some unplanned culverts and drains as part of development works worth Tk 250 crore two years ago.
“We have suffered huge losses due to waterlogging, which damaged our furniture and other items as water entered the ground floors of almost all the hotels and restaurants,” he added.
Rokon Uddin Khalid Chowdhury, executive engineer of Roads and Highways in Cox’s Bazar, said they have been informed of the issue by local businessmen and are taking steps to identify the problems.
Selim Reza, a tourist from Gazipur, said waterlogging spoiled their vacation since they could not leave their hotel due to the inundated roads in the Sugandha area.
Businessmen have expressed concerns that tourists may be reluctant to visit Cox’s Bazar if the waterlogging problem is not solved soon.
Meanwhile, the bodies of two more people, who went missing after a trawler capsized during rough weather in the Bay of Bengal on Friday, were found on Inani Beach in Cox’s Bazar yesterday afternoon.
One of the deceased was identified as Mohammad Abdul Karim, 35, of Banshkhali Raipur Union of Chittagong, said Inani Police Outpost Inspector Rezaul Karim.
The identity of the other victim has not yet been confirmed.
Earlier, on Friday, a landslide caused by heavy rain killed six members of two families in Cox’s Bazar.