After almost one and half decades of mindless construction spree on the Cox's Bazar beach, the sea has largely gone out of focus. What the tourists visiting the site see these days are rows of multi-storey hotels, some abutting the waters. There seems to be no end to this atrocious activity. To call this construction fever mere encroachment, coupled with pollution, is understatement. Lately this menace has taken a unique form: raising tin-shade houses and leasing those out for residential purpose. Some locally influential people construct these houses, which many term a ploy to grab government lands. Besides, nobody can say for sure that swathes of plots on the beach will not turn shanty neighbourhoods in the near future.
No sooner had the tin-shade structures been in place on Cox's Bazar beach than the craze reached the Kuakata beach in Patuakhali district. To the relief of the environmentalists, the relatively less visited beach has yet to undergo a construction binge. Hotels and motels have just begun coming up. Meanwhile, the unscrupulous quarters do not find it wise to waste time. Choosing an opportune moment, they have swung into action. After raising a handful of tin-shad houses on the beach and sensing their demand among local people, they took up the venture in earnest. The spectacle of rows of improvised houses in the beach area has lately emerged as a stain on the beach's pristine beauty.
Spoiling the beauty of tourist spots is an old practice in the country. Apart from the vested interests bent on encroaching on lucrative sites, there are the ignorant people. Most of them are unaware of the necessity to keep these sites clean and nice-looking. They include youths and adults, males and females, educated and illiterate. The awareness that littering at a site of historical ruins or on a beach is an offence more serious than throwing trash on a city road apparently eludes the average tourists. The latest beauty spots falling prey to litter include the Chittagong Hill Tracts forests and the streams in the greater Sylhet region.
What's most worrying is people residing in the neighbourhood of a tourist attraction are found least bothered about preserving a heritage site. As has been found over the years, especially in the recent times, people adopt a blasé attitude towards these sites. The apathy is shocking. Not many countries are gifted with tourist spots, the ruins in particular. Due to its being in South Asia, Bangladesh can boast of lots of historical ruins. The country is fortunate to be the locations of sites such as Mahasthangarh, Paharpur Buddhist Monastery, Kantaji Temple, Shaat Gombuj Mosque, Lalbagh Fort etc. The list also includes lots of obscure sites, and those being explored. Realities turn silhouettes with shocking human behavior ruling the roost at many of these sites. What can be more appalling than finding new buildings being erected in Mahasthangarh using bricks collected from the ruins? Trashes and empty soft drink cans can be seen everywhere in the sprawling area of this site. The Paharpur Monastery has long fallen victim to utter neglect. Signs of wear can be made out on large segments of its surface. On many counts, this site has to endure more visitors' pressure than that found elsewhere in the country. Consequently, the pollution of the spot goes on unabated and is widespread. Due to Paharpur's being the oldest of historical sites in the country, and an attraction for local and overseas Buddhists, it has seen renovations. But owing to the rush of visitors, the impacts of renovation do not last long. Alongside steps taken by the authorities, creating public awareness of preserving the tourist sites will greatly help in the upkeep of these attractions.
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