Tourists suffer as no bus terminal in Kuakata
Movement of tourists going to Kuakata beach is severely hampered as many vehicles are parked on the only road due to lack of a bus terminal in the municipality.
The government declared Kuakata as a municipality in 2010, but the authorities have not been able to set up a bus terminal in eight years.
Several thousand tourists from home and abroad visit Kuakata sea beach every year to enjoy its natural scenery and to see the sun rise and set from the beach.
There are many eye-soothing spots like the long beach, tamarisk garden, eco-park, fatrarbon (mangrove forest), statue of Goutam Buddho at Misreepara temple, Gongamoti reserve forest, Kawer Char where red crabs can be seen, and Rakhine villages where Rakhine people make handicrafts for sale.
They can also see the historical Kua, an ancient wooden boat that was used by Rakhines to come to Bangladesh from Myanmar about 200 years back.
Tourists visit the beach round the year, but the most of them go there mainly in the tourism season from November to April. During winter vacation, students from different schools, colleges and universities across the country go there on study tours and picnics.
This correspondent recently visited Kuakata and saw about 100 buses, mini-buses, jeeps, private cars and micro-buses from different places of the country parked on the only road as there is no terminal.
“I often come to Kuakata to enjoy its natural scenery, but I have to face trouble parking my car as the only road is blocked by other vehicles. The authorities should take immediate steps to set up a bus terminal here, considering the tourists' interest,” said Atiqur Rahman, a tourist from Dhaka.
Kuakata municipality Mayor Abdul Bareq Mollah said they have prepared a plan to set up a bus terminal. “We will start construction of the terminal after acquiring land,” he said.
Comments