COX'S BAZAR, Jan 1: On the last day of the year, Cox's Bazar turned festive as thousands of tourists flocked to the beach to witness the final sunset of 2025. From morning till evening on Wednesday, the Laboni, Sugandha and Kalatali points were packed with visitors, their footsteps filling the sandy stretches.
At exactly 5:26 pm, crowds from across the country bid farewell to the year's last sun. Many spent the moment with loved ones, capturing photographs to preserve memories against the backdrop of nature's splendour.
Tourist Sikdar Mohammad Alauddin, who travelled from Rajshahi with his family said, "Another year has passed before our eyes. We bade farewell to 2025 here in Cox's Bazar, our favourite place, and enjoyed the sunset with family."
In recent years, large-scale celebrations on the beach marking New Year's Eve have been absent. This year, state mourning following the death of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia led to the cancellation of special programmes in star rated hotels and other venues.
Still, the city's hospitality sector is overflowing. More than 500 hotels, motels, resorts, guesthouses and cottages are nearly full. Tourism insiders estimate that at least six lakh visitors arrived in Cox's Bazar this week, drawn by Christmas holidays, extended vacations and the year end festivities.
Abul Kashem Sikdar, President of the Cox's Bazar Hotel and Guesthouse Owners' Association, said, "Even without major events on the beach or open spaces, tourist arrivals have not slowed. Numbers were low earlier in the season, but now we are seeing encouraging turnout."
Law enforcement agencies remained vigilant to prevent untoward incidents during the "Thirty First Night." District police issued seven restrictions, including bans on fireworks and firecrackers at the beach, and prohibitions on concerts or dance shows in open spaces or streets. Bars and liquor shops were ordered closed from 6 pm on December 31 until 6 pm on January 1.
District police spokesperson and Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alok Biswas said, security forces and administration were working to ensure smooth travel for tourists, with strict monitoring to enforce the restrictions.
