Staff Reporter: Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dhaka, Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique said Bangladesh will be developed with 2041 using ocean resources where researchers have to play a vital role to make triumph of sea meaningful.
“Bangladesh has the right to fish and explore resources within 118,813 square kilometers and the sovereign rights to a full 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the Bay of Bengal by defeating its bigger neighbour, India and Myanmar through international court,” said Professor Arefin Siddique on Tuesday while addressing a ‘National Beach Cleanup Programme-2020’ as chief guest at the Labony beach of Cox’s Bazar.
The programme organized jointly by Save our Sea, a marine conservation organization and Ministry of civil aviation and tourism. Marine Journalists Network (MJN) was the associate partner.
It is a great triumph of Bangladesh which obtained under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The researchers have to go ahead with their study work to make the victory more effective and meaningful,” he added.
The Chairman of DBC news TV and The Daily Bangladesh Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury presided over the programme.
Cox’s Bazar District Development Authority Secretary Abu Zafar Rashid, Chairman of Bangladesh Tourism Foundation Mokhlesur Rahman, Managing Director of Virtuso Research and Consultancy Firm and Blue economy expert Dr. Dilruba Chawdhury and Head of News of Independent Television Mamun Abdullah, Director of Save our Sea and ocean explorer SM Atiqur Rahman, Tour Operators Association of Cox’s Bazar (TOAC) President Tofail Ahmed and Bangladesh Tourism Explorers’ Association (BTEA) Chairman Shahidul Islam Sagor.
Muhammad Anowarul Hoque, Secretary General of Save Our Sea, gave welcome speech at the programme.
‘Miami Beach of Florida is one of the world’s popular sea beaches. Many tourists come from different part of the world. Cinema shooting takes place at the place also. But that beach is nothing compared to our Cox’s Beach. This is only because of our sea management and planning problems’, Arefin added.
Many unauthorized establishments have been built close to the sea beach that makes uncomfortable situation. There should be a limitation of illegal structure for the sake of ecotourism, he said.
The former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University said that we live in a world. If the pollution in sea or in air takes place in Pakistan or India, Bangladesh will also be affected. The nature does not mean boarder. As a result, we need to be aware of it. So take necessary steps in this regard. We need to start ocean literacy campaign.
Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, former adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has advised Cox’s Bazar Development Authority to play a proper role in making Cox’s Bazar a tourist city.
Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, formed Cox’s Bazar Development Authority. It is not a matter of looking who is hindering your activities here, in which case you have to design this beach as a tourist city.
He mentioned that we do not want to hear that the master plan has not been made till today. We want you to start working from tomorrow. There should be no separate committee for beach management after the authority is formed. Everything is supposed to fall under the development authority. For the sake of the area, people will remember that they have done something for them, utilizing the merits of the authority involved in the development of the sea.
SM Atiqur Rahman, Director of Save Sea said, “The tourists waste goes directly into the sea that disrupting the process of photosynthesis system of sea animals. It wastes sea resources.
Tourism Expert Tourism Foundation Chairman Mokhlesur Rahman said, every beach of Bangladesh is the property of every country in the world after announcing a place as a tourist center. As a result, we have to be aware not to harm any beach area.
Ocean economy researcher Dr. Dilruba Chawdhury said that blue economy adds five to six trillion dollar to the main economy in the world. In our country, many sectors have been involved with tourism. We can increase our GDP contribution by ocean economy.
Mamun Abdullah, Head of Independent Television said that we have the longest beach in the world, can’t we use it? I find no longer the Cox’s Bazar that I saw 25 years ago.
Speaking on the occasion, Dhaka Metropolitan South Volunteer League General Secretary Tarek Sayeed said that the Prime Minister Sheik Hasina dreams a lot about our sea, you have to dream like that. We have to play a role in moving the country forward.
