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Twelve people have drowned while swimming at various points along the Cox’s Bazar beach in the first half of 2025.
Another 50 people have died in different parts of the district, with the highest number of drowning incidents occurring in the Kutubdia, Ukhiya, and Ramu Upazilas, reports bdnews24.com.
The data was provided by the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB), an NGO that works to prevent drowning deaths.
The organisation has been working at Cox's Bazar beach since 2014.
Imtiaz Ahmed, a field officer with the Sea Safe Project, said their records showed 64 deaths in the past 10 years, all of whom drowned after being swept away while bathing in the sea.
He added that during this time, Sea Safe lifeguards have rescued 795 people from the water.
However, the number of lifeguards remains inadequate compared with the volume of tourists regularly visiting Cox’s Bazar.
On public holidays and during festivals, the number of tourists often exceeds 100,000.
“It is not possible to manage the holiday crowd with just 27 lifeguards. They work in two shifts, meaning only 13 on duty at a time. It's nowhere near enough.”
Alongside private efforts, the government should also launch an official lifeguard service on the beach, according to Kalim Ullah, a social worker and tourism entrepreneur.
“Additionally, designated safe and unsafe bathing zones should be clearly marked.”
Local businessman Abdur Rahman said despite Cox’s Bazar being the country’s top tourist destination, there has been no government initiative to reduce drowning deaths.
“Even though there is a beach management committee, they don’t seem proactive. They're more focused on business.”
Nafis Intesar Nafi, executive magistrate of Cox’s Bazar District Administration’s Tourism Cell, was unable to provide specific answers on the matter.
“A private organisation is currently working here. We're thinking about how we can support their capacity building and other improvements,” he said.
According to the United Nations, 235,000 people around the world drown each year. In Bangladesh alone, around 19,000 people die from drowning each year -- an average of 50 deaths per day, 40 of whom are children.