One of the reasons for the accident was not going to swim in the beach water without knowing how to go deep beyond the knee water limit, not understanding the signals of the red and red-yellow flags on the beach.
The Cox's Bazar district administration has identified the causes of these accidents and given 10 new instructions including life jackets before going to the beach to prevent accidents.
These are: If you do not know how to swim, you have to use a life jacket when going into the seawater. The red flag cannot be lowered to the marked point in any way. Always follow the instructions of the lifeguard in the beach area.
You can't go out to sea after 5 pm. Before going to sea, you have to know the current weather conditions including the tides. The designated place indicated by the lifeguard shall not descend into the sea from any other point.
In addition, strong currents and hidden holes can form in the ocean at any moment, so it is important to know the speed of the wind before the floating object enters the water.
Children should always be kept on the beach, not allowed to go out to sea alone, and not to go overboard with a sick or weak body.
Besides, the district administration has put up signboards identifying the hidden holes of the beach and the areas prone to mass flow.
Meanwhile, 26 workers in two shifts are engaged in the safety of tourists bathing in the sea. There is a shortage of lifeguards to protect thousands of tourists from swimming in the sea, as well as a shortage of rescue equipment, officials said.
Imtiaz Ahmed, project manager at Cox's Bazar Sea Safe Lifeguard, said many people were taking baths despite instructions and red flags. In this case, tourists also need to be much more careful, otherwise, it is difficult to prevent accidents.
Relevant sources said that at least 20 tourists have died in the last five years due to bathing on the beach in violation of the restrictions. At the same time, 354 people were rescued from the sea in injured conditions.
Meanwhile, a campaign was organized at Sugandha Point on the beach around 10:30 am on Friday with 10 guidelines to prevent accidents on the beach.
Deputy Commissioner inaugurated the 10-day awareness campaign before going into the water. Mamunur Rashid.
Additional District Magistrate Abu Sufian, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Overall) Zahid Iqbal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Human Resources) Nasim Ahmed, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Vibhishan Kanti Das, Executive Magistrate (Tourism Cell) Murad of the district administration were present on the occasion. Tour operators, fire service, and officials of various organizations including Islam.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner. Mamunur Rashid said a 10-day campaign has been organized to create awareness among the tourists visiting the beach along with 10 guidelines to prevent beach-centric accidents.
He said the district administration wants no more accidents or deaths on the beach. For this reason, action will be taken against the tourists who go to the beach in violation of these restrictions.
After being closed for five months, Cox's Bazar, the most popular beach for tourists in Bangladesh, and other entertainment centers there have been reopened since Monday.
However, Cox's Bazar is one of the districts where the disease is most prevalent outside the divisional city. About four thousand infected people have been identified in the district. Several areas of Cox's Bazar were also declared red zones.
Rules to follow
Javed Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Tourism Board, said guidelines have been drawn up on what to do for tourists and those who will provide a variety of services to tourists. Which is available on the website of the Bangladesh Tourism Board.
It was opened and it has a total of 13 chapters. Separate instructions have been issued for various parties involved in tourism including tour operators, travel agents, hotels, restaurants, airlines, tourist coaches. For example, tourists are being asked to book and pay online before going on a trip, in addition to the hygiene measures that have been in place since the start of the Kovid-19 epidemic. Fewer members and family travel are being encouraged instead of traveling in large groups.
Prior to receiving the service, hotels, restaurants, local transport, guides, souvenir shops, etc., have the ability to provide security provisions on Covid-19, booking and discouraging the entry of outsiders while staying at the hotel. Proper disposal of health care materials used by tourists, avoidance of buffet meals served in restaurants but also sitting at the dining table at a distance of three feet has been encouraged.
The mobile court, the tourist police, and the district administration will work together on this."
Cox's Bazar district SP Md Zillur Rahman of the tourist police said that the weather was not good on the first day, meaning there was a warning signal number three. For this reason, there were not many people on the beach.
He said the most popular parts of the beach such as Kalatli Beach, Laboni Point, Inani Beach, Himchhari will have tourist police on their way down and if anyone does not wear a mask, he will not be allowed to go down to the beach. However, if someone does not have a mask, he will be provided if needed.
That's why these decisions
Md. Rafiuzzaman, president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, said the tourism industry had been shut down for five months, causing a loss of Rs 5,600 crore. He said that about 4 million people are involved in the tourism industry in various ways. TOAB has a total of 65 members in Bangladesh, including hotel and motel tour operators.
Md. Rafiuzzaman says the decision has been taken in consultation with all parties, including the government and public health experts, to overcome the crisis. Tourist coaches will be provided with one seat each. Javed Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Tourism Board, said those who sell various souvenirs to tourists in Cox's Bazar, those who provide cars there, tour guides, restaurant staff are being trained.
Even government waste guidelines state how to manage waste.
Decided to go around happily
"I don't go anywhere for many days. I am out of breath," said Saeed Kanon, a student at Dhaka University. He says he went to Rangamati in January. But since then he seems to have been trapped in the brick forest of Dhaka city.
"We often go out with friends. Now I see the way people are moving in Dhaka, there is a risk of being attacked even in Dhaka. But we need a little break. In his words, "I'm going to take risks. It's like accepting. Coronavirus seems to be a part of our lives. We have to accept that. But also to try a little for the joy of life."
Yet that risk remains
The risk still remains, said the head of the government's Institute of Pathology, Disease Control and Research, IEDCR's virology department. Tahmina Shirin.
The infection has increased since the opening of beaches or recreation centers for tourism in several countries around the world, he says. Later, the beach or recreation center was closed again. In Bangladesh, the detection rate is still above 20 percent in proportion to the sample test and the detection rate has remained the same for a long time.
Dr. Tahmina Shirin, "For example, when people go to the beach, they will take off their masks when they get wet. You have to take off your masks in restaurants. So there is a risk."
In that case, we need to make sure that how many people can come to these places," he said.
The waiters in the restaurant have to wear masks, he said, adding that the distance between the tables should be six feet.