Patenga sea beach

Shahidul Islam

The Patenga sea beach, 15-kilometres from the Chittagong city, is a place for the people who want a respite from the din of city life , albeit for a short time.

It has always been a vibrant, lively site for tourism, but things have changed for the worse in recent times.

The beach at the picturesque confluence of the Bay of Bengal and the river Karnaphuli is now occupied by hundreds of illegal shop owners.

Visitors feel a bit disappointed as they approach the beach these days.

Today, the number of shops along the beach is no less than 500 and these structures not only obstruct the natural clear views of the beach from close distance but also cause severe environmental pollution to the beach with litter, cans and other wastes every day.

The entire beach now looks like a mammoth slum or a large hawkers market at first glance.

A victim of thoughtlessness at its worst?

The author is Chittagong bureau in-charge of The Daily Star.