A comprehensive field inspection conducted throughout yesterday along a 30-kilometer stretch of the Marine Drive in Cox's Bazar revealed widespread unauthorized construction of new resorts and cottages, alongside ongoing structural work for guest rooms operating without mandatory regulatory approvals.
Preliminary assessments compiled from government agencies and local business operators indicate that over 700 residential hotels, resorts, and cottages across Cox's Bazar district are currently operating with severe safety vulnerabilities, notably critical deficiencies in fire safety measures, alongside various other administrative and environmental irregularities.
Despite regulatory authorities repeatedly flagging these severe infractions and issuing formal warning notices to the defaulting establishments, the illegal construction works and commercial operations continue unabated across the coastal district.
The unchecked expansion extends beyond the coastal fringe into Cox's Bazar town, where multi-story commercial buildings, including an eight-story hotel, are actively functioning in blatant violation of statutory requirements, lacking both essential fire safety certification and environmental clearance certificates.
