All tourist spots in Cox's Bazar including sea beaches have become empty after the government ban on Wednesday.
The government has imposed a ban on public gathering and tourist arrivals at Cox's Bazar sea beach on Wednesday afternoon to prevent risk of spreading coronavirus (COVID-19).
According to sources, as per government decision the district administration imposed the ban. Superintendent of police of Cox's Bazar ABM Masud Hossain confirmed the matter. This ban will be affective on picnics, study tours and students gatherings, sources said.
This correspondent found the longest sea beach of the world empty of tourists on Thursday afternoon. Some members of the law enforcement agency were seen patrolling the sea beach.
A trader of Laboni Point on the sea beach Abdur Rahman said that they have never seen such a situation before. "We sitting in the shop since morning but no buyer came to our shop", Rahman said.
Ma Ma Sing, a sales girl of the Cox's Bazar Burmese market said that no goods were sold till afternoon on Thursday as there is not a single tourist in the town.
When contacted hotel managers of the beach town said all local tourists left the residential hotels by the morning of Thursday. But some foreigners are staying in different hotels, sources said.
The police administration has set up a check post on Wednesday night in Chokoria on the Chottogram-Cox's Bazar highway to check Cox's Bazar-bound tourist groups.
The police administration also ordered all students not to come Cox's Bazar by air route and by road. If any student arrives in Cox's Bazar violating the government order s/he would be forced by law enforcers to return home, the police super said.
On the other hand, tourism business in Cox's Bazar has come to a standstill in recent days due to coronavirus situation. General Secretary of the Cox's Bazar hotel and guest house owners association Abul Kashem Sikder told this correspondent that at present hotel rooms are empty after ban on tourist arrival by the government.
He said district administration ordered all tourists to leave Cox's Bazar town by Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, movement of the people on the road and public buses has dropped in Cox's Bazar town since Thursday morning. But export-import activities in Teknaf land port were normal.
Local traders said that they will count enormous loss in business after ban on tourists due to coronavirus situation.
