Tale of an unattended beach

The sea beach at Kattali. PHOTO: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

Located on the western side of the port city and near the Outer Ring Road, the 'unexplored' beach can be developed as a unique and viable tourist spot alongside the Patenga Sea Beach and help earn more revenue for the country, the visitors said.

Local people said around 300 nature lovers throng the Kattali Beach everyday while the number doubles in the holidays. They pass their times with near and dear ones at the picturesque site.

More than two-kilometre grassy land emerges there after low tide, greening the shore of the Bay of Bengal, situated on the right side of the Patenga beach.

Anyone can enjoy the anchored ships in the sea in left hand and a green small forest (Jhaoban) on the right side from the beach.

A fireplace of the Sangu, the off shore gas field on the Bay of Bengal, would come to the vision of the nature lovers during the dusk every day.

Fishermen return their homes every afternoon after fishing from the deep sea. They anchor their boats near the Jhaoban, go back home and take preparation for the next day.

Local people have long been leading their lives by fishing at the deep sea and producing poultry feeds from the wastage of fish, mainly from the shrimps at the area.

Some shrimp hatcheries have also been developed commercially on the bank of the sea in few years.

The communication to the beach is easy and different modes of transports are also available for the tourists. Anyone can go to the beach using Dewanhat to Halishahar B Block Road, Divisional Stadium Road (Sogorika) and the road near Customs Office.

Abul Bashar, a college student, said he comes the serene place to take fresh air amidst a pollution-free atmosphere.

"I avoid the chaotic tourists spots of the city like Patenga and other amusement parks to get a quiet environment there," he added.

Locals take their guests, who come Chittagong for recreation, to the beach with a view to introducing them with the beach that has so far been left untouched, thanks to the indifference of the authorities concerned.

Saifuddin Ahmed, who came to the beach along with his cousins, said everything is unplanned there and insecure.

"If the government takes over the management of the beach and makes it tourism friendly, it will attract huge tourists of the country as well as the foreigners," he said.

"Some unconscious people are polluting the seashore, posing a threat to environment," he added.

Local Ward Commissioner Siddique Ahmed Chowdhury said considering potentials of the beach, they have already taken initiatives to protect it.

"We have set up light posts on the embankment for security and have a plan to set up iron made umbrella so that visitors can take rest to their ease and comfort here," he added.