Cox's Bazar (Bengali: কক্সবাজার, pronounced [kɔksbadʒaɾ]) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre and district headquarters in southeastern Bangladesh. The beach in Cox's Bazar is sandy and has a gentle slope; with an unbroken length of 120 km (75 mi), it is the longest natural sea beach in the world.[2][3][4] It is located 150 km (93 mi) south of the divisional headquarter of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the name Panowa, which translates literally as "yellow flower". Another old name was "Palongkee".
Cox's Bazar
'কক্সবাজার'
City
Skyline of Cox's Bazar
Cox's Bazar is located in Bangladesh Cox's BazarCox's Bazar
Location of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh
Coordinates: 21.583333°N 92.016667°E
Country
Bangladesh
Division
Chittagong Division
District
Cox's Bazar District
Area
• City
6.85 km2 (2.64 sq mi)
Elevation
3 m (10 ft)
Population (2007 est.)Total population represents population in city and metro represents entire district.[1]
• City
51,918
• Density
7,579.27/km2 (19,630.2/sq mi)
• Metro
120,480
Time zone
BST (UTC+6)
The modern Cox's Bazar derives its name from Captain Hiram Cox, an officer of the British East India Company. Cox was appointed Superintendent of Palongkee outpost after Warren Hastings became Governor of Bengal. He embarked upon the task of rehabilitation and settlement of the Arakanese refugees in the area.[5] Captain Cox died in 1799 before he could finish his work. To commemorate his role in rehabilitation work, a market was established and named Cox's Bazar after him. Unlike many locations in the Indian Subcontinent where place names dating from the colonial period have been changed, Cox's name is still retained in the city he founded.
Today, Cox's Bazar is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh, although not a major international tourist destination. In 2013, the Bangladesh Government formed the Tourist Police unit to protect local and foreign tourists better, as well as to look after the nature and wildlife in the tourist spots of Cox's Bazar.[6]
