Nur Uddin Alamgir, Chattogram: Chattogram district administration has taken an initiative to develop Guliakhali sea beach, which remained uncared for earlier, with modern facilities to attract more tourists.
The beach located in Sitakunda upazila of the district and some 40 kilometres off the Chattogram city centre is getting popular among the nature lovers for its unique green grass bed instead of sandy setting.
Hundreds of tourists throng the beach to have a glimpse every day, as scenic beauty of it has gone viral through social media.
However, due to lack of facilities like walkway, restaurant, resort and toilet, tourists can stay for a short span of time there.
Besides, they cannot stroll on the beach during the hightide as tidal water submerges it in the rainy season.
Taking the issues into consideration, the Chattogram district administration has taken a step to uplift the beach with modern facilities so that the visitors can stay there in the night to enjoy beauty of nature closely.
The administration has planned to develop a resort having accommodation facilities for 10 persons, a restaurant, a 500-metre walkway and separate toilet facilities for the male and female visitors there.
The development work will be carried out with the fund from the beach management committee. Designs for the establishments have already been finalised, said sources.
Sitakunda Upazila Assistant Commissioner (AC-Land) Ashraful Alam said they collected designs from two firms.
“After scrutinising the designs and cost, the deputy commissioner has finalised one of them,” he said.
The resort will facilitate stay of some 10 tourists while the restaurant will provide food facilities for all, said Ashraful.
The eye-catching wooden 500-metre ‘Y shaped’ walkway will take the nature lovers near the sea during the both hightide and low tide, he said.
All the structures will be developed on 10 feet above the water-level to ensure safety, said the officer.
The beach management committee comprising officials from district and upazila levels will oversee the activities, said the AC Land, adding that no charge will be imposed for entering the beach area.
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakhruzzaman told the Daily Sun that the picturesque sea beach attracts huge visitor every day.
Design for developing the facilities has already been approved, he said.
“We will float tender in the next month to engage contractor for the work,” said the DC.
“Initially, Ansarmen will be deployed for security. I have also talked to the high-up of the Tourists Police to engage members of the force there,” said Fakhruzzaman.
The DC also said they asked the Local Government Department to widen and develop the road to and from the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and the beach to ease movement of vehicles carrying tourists.
Mentionable, Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry declared Guliakhali sea beach as tourism protected area on January 10 last year.
A notification issued in this regard said development and expansion of tourism sector are being hampered and there is also risk of harm in the future due to unplanned construction of structure and other activities in Guliakhali sea beach area.
In this circumstance, the government declared 259.10 acres of land of the area as tourism protected area for planning, development and expansion of tourism industry and service sector of Bangladesh and controlling other activities there under the section-4 of ‘Bangladesh Tourism Protected Area and Special Tourism Zone Act-2010,’ read the notification.
