Kalapara (Patuakhali) Correspondent
Tourists are running like free birds everywhere on the long beach of Kuakata in Patuakhali’s Kalapara. In the rainy season, the waves of the sea are hitting the beach and the visitors who went down to the sea after a long time are now roaming freely around the beach.
The tourist-carrying sea vehicles are running in the blue water of the sea. The marine shrubs of the beach which have suddenly grown in nature are getting wrapped again with the footsteps of tourists, but the red crabs roaming in the shiny sand are moving around just like before.
After a long time, on Thursday, at the Kuakata sea beach, the tourist center of Kalapara in Patuakhali, such exuberance of the tourists with the nature was seen. With this Kuakata Sea beach has got its life back after a long time.
Kuakata Beach, also known as a natural paradise, is known around the world for its sunrise and sunset. In addition to enjoying the breathtaking view of sunrise and sunset in the same place, green nature is now adorning the 18 km long beach of Kuakata. Groups of white oysters are spread out like carpets across the beach. Red crab sanctuaries have been created on Lemburban and Gangamati beaches.
Corona virus's influence has led to a ban on tourist travel to Kuakata Beach, a tourist destination. Tourists are fascinated by the natural results of that ban.
Meanwhile, Kuakata tourism based traders are happy that the ban on tourists visiting the Kuakata beach has been lifted since Thursday. Ignoring the heavy rain since morning, tourists from different parts of the country are rushing to Kuakata.
Sales have increased in businesses adjacent to the beach. The restaurants have reopened after being closed for a long time. Tourists have started booking hotels and motels.
Similarly, the Rakhine Market in Kuakata, the Buddhist monastery, the Rakhine Para and the Gangamati beach are the places where the tourists and locals are happy. The sandy path of the beach that used to be illuminated by the light of the moon in the darkness of the night for so long, tourists will start roaming there from Thursday. Dhaka tourists Arshbia Ahmed, Sejuti Nahar and Taizul Haque, who were visiting Kuakata, said they were overwhelmed by Dhaka's suffocating environment for a long time. So this morning Kuakata came to take a little natural pure oxygen. They have been to Kuakata more than once before, but this time the nature of Kuakata has fascinated them. And they are enjoying the subject because of the waves of the sea. In a government notification issued on Thursday, the tourist center, resort, community center and recreation center will be able to use 50 per cent of the seats from August 19. In all cases the mask must be worn. Kuakata traders and visitors have been waiting for this day since the announcement.
AH Motaleb Sharif, general secretary of the Hotel-Motel Owners Association, said they had been lazy for five long months as the tourist spot was closed. Many hotel-restaurant workers are unemployed and have shifted to other professions. However, they are happy to open a tourist center from today. Now tourists have started coming. Kuakata is hoping that the new venture will start again in a few days. Kalapara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abu Hasnat Mohammad Shahidul Haque said the government has opened tourist spots in compliance with health rules. In a meeting with Kuakata traders on August 17, Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner directed the tourism traders to abide by the government directives. So even if the tourist center is opened, the administration will look into the matter to ensure health protection.