RAB arrests parasailing operator following fatal tourist accident in Cox’s Bazar
Photo Collected
Elite anti-crime forces have arrested the owner of a parasailing company following the death of a tourist who plummeted into the ocean at Darianagar beach in Cox’s Bazar last week. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) confirmed that Mohammad Farid, 45, the owner of “Fly Sea Air,” was apprehended late Thursday night while hiding in the Mirpur area of Dhaka.
The incident occurred last Saturday when 31-year-old Akshar Souvik Ray, who was visiting from Khulna with a group of friends, was flung from a parasail during takeoff. Despite being rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital after being pulled from the sea, Ray was pronounced dead upon arrival. His sister subsequently filed a lawsuit at the Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, naming Farid as the primary suspect among five individuals accused of negligence.
Investigation officials revealed that the company had been operating without valid credentials for several months. While the district administration had overseen the activity for a decade, the permits for the three local parasailing operators—Fly Sea Air, Funfest Parasailing, and Satellite Vision Parasailing—expired in June 2024 and were never renewed.
Local authorities noted that the lack of emergency rescue protocols at the site significantly delayed the response to the accident. This tragedy marks the first fatality involving Farid’s company, though a history of recurring accidents has long plagued his operations. According to Mofizur Rahman, an advisor to the Tour Operator Association of Bangladesh, at least 19 tourists have suffered injuries—including six who were permanently disabled—over the past decade while using equipment managed by Farid’s firm, ranging from falling into the sea to crashing into trees or sandbanks.
Critics have long pointed to a lack of administrative oversight and the employment of unskilled personnel as the primary drivers of the safety crisis. Despite intermittent orders from local officials to suspend these activities due to safety concerns, operators have continued to function, often putting profit above the safety of tourists. Farid has since been handed over to the Cox’s Bazar police, where he faces legal proceedings as the investigation continues.
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